Role of a Lifetime
by m1129
Summary: Tris Prior is a 25 year old Stunt Double, and has an audition to double for Nita Paolos in the new upcoming George Wu movie, "Four" (starring Tobias Eaton). Will she be offered the part? What else could this opportunity lead to? Four/Tris, Modern Day/AU, Rated MA (language/sexual content)
1. Chapter 1

**"Role of a Lifetime"**

 **RATED M/MA (for language & sexual content)**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 (Tris' POV)**

* * *

The audition for "Four" doesn't start for 20 minutes, but I decide I can no longer anxiously wait in the car. Plus, it makes a good impression to show up early. So I grab my bag and folder before taking a deep breath and get out of my car. I make my way up to the tall building and head inside.

Even though I've done this many times now, it's still nerve wracking. So much so, that upon entering the expansive lobby, I feel my heart rate pick up and my palms begin to sweat, so I discreetly wipe them on my pants as I approach the front desk.

The receptionist directs me where to go, then zones back in on her computer screen. So I follow her instructions down the hall until I finally arrive to my destination, where I'm greeted by another young woman.

She has me take a seat and says that someone will let me know when they're ready for me. I sit there patiently, picking off the couple of fuzz balls from my leggings. I look over my outfit- I bought a new pair of my favorite black leggings and decided on a white long sleeved top and a dark grey athletic jacket, which matches my running shoes. It looks like a standard workout outfit, but a bit more coordinated and put together than I usually put the effort into.

One wouldn't think this is your typical attire for a movie audition, but that's because I'm auditioning to be a _stunt double_ in this film. So that require a bit more than reading lines or showing facial expressions. I appreciate that it's more physical than that.

When I'm called back a short while later, I'm escorted to a fairly large sized room where there's a long table at one end with a panel of people. I set my bag down on an empty chair off to the side and go to introduce myself.

"Nice to meet you, Tris." Amar replies, "I'm Lead Stunt Coordinator." He also introduces me to the other stunt coordinators and the casting director that all sit at the table with him with paper piled up in front of them.

"Here's my headshot and resume," I tell them kindly as I hand the folder over to Amar.

"Thank you," he begins looking them over, along with a printed sheet that looks like my audition application, "go ahead and take a seat."

I do as he asks, taking the empty chair that is facing the table. I make sure to sit with good posture and sit with my ankles crossed and my hands in my lap.

"So, Tris, why don't you start off by telling us a bit about yourself first and your experience." The casting director suggests, and so I do.

I tell them about my gymnastics and dance background, and how I like to surf and be outdoors in my free time. I tell them how I've been a stunt performer for six years now, completing over almost two dozen films and commercials. Before going on to tell them my wide range of skills (even though they're listed on my resume), such as; miscellaneous sports (tumbling, wire work, swimming, under water stunts, rock-climbing), falling, riding and driving (horses, motorcycles, vehicles), Weaponry- knife throwing, firearms, and archery, amongst other things. I think they can tell how thrilling all of these things sound to me as I talk about each thing briefly, and I hope they see how passionate I am about what I do.

I also tell them about some of the combat scenes I've filmed and how I've worked with various trainers to become a fairly skilled fighter, despite my size.

However, I'm always nervous that they'll be disappointed that I don't have a black belt or whatnot. I never took formal martial arts classes or anything, I've just been taught here and there by experts. And unfortunately, that's not always enough. I've been turned down from a few jobs because of that.

Or I worry that I simply don't have the appearance they're looking for. I mean, can I really pull off looking like whatever beautiful actress they're sure to cast?

I'm confident in my skill set of my stunt work, that's for sure. But sometimes there's a little more to it than that. This is the movie industry after all.

And as I conclude my little speech and sit here across from these people, I honestly can't tell what they think of me. They seem nice, but reserved, letting me do most of the talking so far. But I have done some stunt double work in major blockbuster films and I'm proud of my work, so hopefully that experience looks good.

"Alright, let's move onto the physical part. Tris, Michael here will be demonstrating with you." he says and the guy at the end of the table stands and comes over to stand beside me.

"We'll make this simple- follow his lead. If you can't do something, just try your best or skip it and keep going."

I lick my lips and take a deep breath as I remove my jacket and lay it over my bag, before stepping onto the mat across from him, but at a safe distance.

I'm thankful that I haven't stumbled over my words so far and that I haven't had trouble coming up with good answers to their questions. I've definitely done worse.  
Overall, I'm pleased with how the interview portion went, which calms my nerves a bit. Now I just have to _show_ them what I can do.

As expected, Michael proves to be a very skilled stunt performer as well, doing everything from basic tumbling with a fake gun, running and jumping behind a fake wall, to flips and one handed cart wheels, to what seems like a choreographed set of martial arts style moves, although they have a different style of movement than I'm familiar with. Still, as directed, I follow Michael's lead the best I can, copying every single one of his moves. Or at least to the best of my ability. When they give me a foam staff and we spar, I can see them getting a bit more excited since I'm actually able to keep up with him, blocking his every move so far. He gets in a few jabs, but I get in a couple as well.

Then we move onto hand to hand combat, although we of course don't actually hurt each other. Just as we're trained to do, we fake a fight and make it look as real as possible. I'm thankful that this guy plays along well considering we're making up this portion as we go, but I think it's doing the trick. He seems impressed with my defense moves and how I use my size and speed to my advantage since I'm not nearly as strong or big as he is.

Meanwhile, I can hear chatting from the table. Then suddenly, as I'm mid-kick, they tell us to stop.

Michael hands me a towel and I thank him with a nod as I dab my sweaty forehead and neck. Although thankfully I'm able to catch my breath pretty quickly and give my attention to the important people sitting in front of me.

I clasp the towel in my hands behind my back as I wait for them to speak first. They all look very serious, and it's starting to worry me. But they haven't dismissed me yet, so I just stand there patiently.

 _Please like me. Please like me. Please like me._

Amar is the first to break, a huge unexpected grin taking over his face. "Ms. Prior, thank you for making this decision so easy for us," he tells me, standing and reaching his hand out for mine, "No need to wait for a call back, you got the part."

My jaw drops and I go to speak, but I end up closing it and opening it again like a fish. "Are you-," I begin finally, but it comes out in a whisper, so I finally force out my voice, "Wow, I... well, thank you."

I'm glad I manage to get myself together and show some gratitude, I really want this to be a good working relationship. Especially since in this business, you want to get on the good side of any and all stunt coordinators and casting directors.

Except that douche, Marco, that I once worked with. I told him to shove it. I refuse to work for arrogant assholes who think I'm going to put out in order to work my way up in this business. No way.

I'm going to make it for my actual good hard work, or not at all.

"You've already read a summary of what you're getting yourself into," the casting director says, "This film is going to take a lot off training, probably five or six weeks before filming begins. And a bit of travel will be involved. The exact locations have yet to be disclosed until the contracts are further discussed, but we'd be filming off site quite a bit. Including at least one location outside the U.S.," she barely pauses to take a breath before continuing and my mind is reeling with all of these amazing opportunities she's already telling me, "many of your skill sets will be put to the test, including much of your expertise in climbing and repelling will be necessary, hand to hand combat of course...including one scene that may or may not be you just in your underwear and a t-shirt... as well as your driving abilities in real city streets, etc. You've got an idea of what the movie's about, so you know it's action packed and will be very physically demanding. Your work will be heavily used, often just for mere safety and insurance reasons for the actress you'll be doubling. But we've seen what you can do here, and we've seen the footage of what you can do in a car or on a bike, so we're confident you can handle the challenge. The question is, are you up for these commitments? We need someone who's really going to own this and help make this movie as well...as badass as we envision it." she explains bluntly, and finally her warm smile comes through a bit, but she's still serious, awaiting my response.

"Absolutely," I reply, "I am so thankful for this opportunity. I know it's going to be a lot of hard work, but I thrive on that. I love a challenge, and I'm very excited to show you how awesome it's going to be. I won't let you down."

"Good, we're glad to hear that. Let's set up a meeting to go over the contracts and scheduling agreements." The casting director explains.

"Do you have any further questions?" Amar asks me.

"I know I'm doubling for Harper, which is Nita Paolos, correct?" I ask and Amar nods.

"Yes, not everybody's been confirmed yet, but here's the script and lead cast list." He hands me a thick stack of white paper and I smile at him.

"Thanks."

"No problem, go ahead and take it home. And we'll be in touch with you about the contract meeting."

"Okay, thank you again, so much." I tell them all, shaking each of their hands before grabbing my jacket and leaving.

I let out a high pitched squeal of excitement once I'm in the safe confines of my vehicle, although I think I startled the woman getting in her Range Rover beside me.

Once I get home and I've made myself a smoothie, I go and sit in my favorite spot- on my back porch, sitting on a lounge chair overlooking the ocean from my hill top Santa Monica home. I plop the script on my lap and look at the cover.

 ** _Title: "FOUR"_**

 ** _Written and Directed by: George Wu_**

 ** _Producers: Tori Wu, David Anderson and Jeanine Matthews_**

I flip to the next page.

 ** _CAST:_**

 ** _"Four" - Tobias Eaton_**

 ** _"Harper" - Nita Paolos_**

 ** _"Mac" - Max Young_**

 ** _"Rocco" - Zeke Pedrad_**

 ** _"Chris" - Albert Simmons_**

 ** _"Giovanni" - Peter Hayes_**

 ** _"Hunter" - Will Hudson_**

 ** _"Claudia" - Molly Rossenberg_**

 ** _"Commander Reinhart" - Gregory Lewis_**

 ** _"Nicole Douglas" - Johanna Reyes..._**

I skip the rest of the confirmed cast and crew, then begin to flip through the actual content of the script...

 _ **"FOUR"**  
_

 _ **-PARIS DRAFT JAN.2015-**_

 _DARKNESS._

 _THE SOUND OF WIND AND SPRAY. MUSIC. TITLES. EXT. OCEAN - NIGHT_

 _The darkness is actually water. A SEARCHLIGHT arcs across heavy ocean swells. Half-a-dozen flashlights - weaker beams - racing along what we can see is the deck of an aging FISHING TRAWLER **.**_

 _FISHERMEN struggling with a gaff - something in the water_

 _\- A HUMAN CORPSE._

 _EXT. FISHING BOAT DECK - NIGHT_

 _THE BODY sprawled there. The Sailors all talking at once - three languages going - brave chatter to mask the presence of death_

 _ **SAILOR #1**_

 _-Geez_ _, look at him_ _-_

 _ **SAILOR #2**_

 _-W_ _hat? - You never saw a dead man before?_ _-_

 _ **SAILOR #3**_

 _-L_ _ook, look he was shot - (nudging the body -)_

 _ **SAILOR #1**_

 _-Don't, don't do that -_

 _ **SAILOR #2**_

 _-He's dead, you think he cares?_ _-_

 _ **SAILOR #1**_

 _-So have some respect - it's a - (stopping as -)_

 _THE BODY MOVES!_ _\- convulsing - coughing up sea water - the Sailors - freaked - jumping back - standing there, as the man begins to breathe..._

I end up reading the whole script through once in one sitting, only stopping to refill my drink and grab a package of trail mix to snack on.

Even though the story line seems to stray away quite a bit from the original book of which it was loosely based on, I think this remake will be awesome.

Basically, _Four_ is the story of a man whose wounded body is discovered by fishermen, who then nurse him back to health. However, since Four has amnesia, he must try to rebuild his memory based on clues- such as the Swiss bank account he discovers he has. In that Zurich bank, he finds that money, a gun, and a few identification documents await. But after he's pursued by security at the American consulate, Four realizes he can trust no one and offers a German spy named Harper ten thousand dollars for a ride to Paris. Encountering more professional killers bent on his destruction, Four discovers that he possesses a surprising degree of skill in combat, martial arts, and linguistics - handy talents that clearly indicate his past includes work as a spy and assassin, but for whom? With Harper's reluctant help, Four edges closer to the truth, something CIA officials want concealed at all costs.

So yeah, definitely a thrilling movie concept! This this is going to be SO fun to film! But I wonder if this Tobias Eaton guy will pull off being as badass as this Four character sounds. I guess only time will tell.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

 **Yay! I'm back with another longer story!**

 **As mentioned in the description, this will be rated M/MA for language and sexual content, so consider yourself warned!**

 **FourTris won't be _officially_ happening for a while. This is a multi-chapter story, so I'm going to build up to it a little bit. But don't worry, until then, there will be plenty of interaction, ****camaraderie, and of course undeniable chemistry between them.**

 **By the way- this movie they're making in this story ("Four"), is loosely based on the Bourne Identity movie/franchise. But** **I will be taking creative liberties to make it unique. Which I'll have to do anyway quite a bit in this story since I'm not an actor or expert in film making. But that's part of the fun of fanfic!**

 **I will try my best to update every week or two. I might even try to do shorter chapters (such as this one) in order to be able to post more often, but not sure if I'll be able to make that work. We'll see!**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading! Please drop me a review to let me know what you think so far!**

 **:-)**

 **-Madison**


	2. Chapter 2

**"Role of a Lifetime"**

 **RATED M/MA (for language & sexual content)**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 (Tris' POV)**

* * *

"This movie is going to be huge, I'm so excited for you!" Susan comments when she takes a seat next to me on my couch. I look over at her with a grin that matches her own, happy to have my closest friend here to celebrate with me.

After I read the script for FOUR, I had decided to call my dad to tell him about my new part. I don't know why he's always the first one I call...but I think it's because it used to always be my mom that I called first. She was always my biggest fan.

Even though my father and I haven never really see eye to eye when it comes to my career path, he's usually been pretty accepting and supportive.

He was a little more excited hearing that this is a George Wu film that I'll be doing, I know he's always liked his movies. But still, as usual, I had hoped for a little more enthusiasm from him.

Just because he doesn't like that my job is a bit dangerous sometimes, or that I didn't stay home and be a housewife to my high school boyfriend (who predictably ended up working for my dad's company), doesn't mean he couldn't be a _little_ more excited for me. At least once in a while.

But as usual, I don't dwell on it. I know that's not healthy. So, knowing how to cheer myself up, I followed that phone call up with my brother Caleb, and then Susan. Both of which were practically blowing up on the other side of the phone in excitement.

Caleb is living in Colorado with his wife and kid, but we're still pretty close. We talk a few times a week, and he's constantly texting me pictures of my nephew. But since Susan lives just a few miles away, she insisted on coming over right away to celebrate with me. And of course being who she is, she was here only five minutes later.

But I'm thankful my friend is so eager and loyal, because even though I've been in several movies and this is nothing all that new to me, I'm still really fucking excited! I think I'll always be when I get offered a part. How can I not be? I'm still just a small town girl that had an odd dream career and happened to make it. Plus, this is one of the biggest movies I've done.

"I know, right? I mean, I'm still a bit surprised they offered it so quickly. I usually have to wait for a call-back." I finally manage to reply, taking the bag she hands me and setting it on the counter.

"I'm not surprised at all, why put off the obvious? Time is money. And they saw that you're a natural acrobat with freaky abilities, and you've worked really hard to be a skilled fighter. You're perfect for the part."

"Freaky abilities?" I ask, looking at her with an amused smile.

"You do some crazy shit, Tris." she says, smiling back, but she's still trying to get her point across, always being the sincere friend that she is.

I laugh and shrug, "What can I say, I like what I do."

"So, who's the lead again?" she asks, knowing I can't spoil many details about the story, but that I can't help but reveal a few basics. Such as the cast and crew. Thankfully she's always been a very trustworthy friend, and knows when to keep her lips sealed. I know I'd never have to worry about anything being leaked to the public or anything.

As I help her unload the stuff for margaritas, I answer, "Well, I mentioned how I'm doubling Nita Paolos, who's the lead female role. Tobias Eaton will be playing Four, the lead character and title of the film, then there's the supporting roles; Max Young, Zeke Pedr-", but she cuts me off before I can continue the last couple actors I can remember seeing listed on the sheet.

"Wait a minute, did you say _Tobias Eaton_? Isn't that the actor you thought was super-hot from those Underworld movies?"

I shrug again, trying to avoid her teasing. "Yeah, I think so. But it's not really a big deal."

"He's gorgeous, you've said it yourself. And you rarely say stuff like that! So it _is_ a big deal." She smiles, obviously loving this news.

"He's just another person, like you and me," I laugh and attempt tp continue, "Anyway, there's also Johanna Reyes and-"

" _Just_ another person who you wouldn't stop going on about...what was it again? Broad shoulders? Intense, sexy eyes..."

"I did not say that." I try to defend, still laughing because...well, I very well may have. It definitely wouldn't be an untrue statement, he's ridiculously good looking.

"You did!" she teases again as she pulls out my blender for the drinks.

Susan is very sweet, polite, and _usually_ soft spoken. Not always that way when she's just around _me_ , as she's definitely up for ribbing me when it comes to my romantic life...or lack thereof. But she's a genuinely friendly person, and I know she's just being a supportive friend and her usual hopeless romantic self. I don't necessarily look at it like she's just rubbing in my inability to snag a good guy, she truly seems to think I'm going to find 'the one', just like she will. So she feels that it's her job to help me out in this department, whether I ask for it or not.

"Well, even if I did, it doesn't matter," I remind her as I help slice some limes, "So he's super-hot? I work with attractive actors all the time, it's part of this business, I'm used to it. It's not like it'll change anything."

She shrugs with a kind smile, "Very true, but at least you'll get to admire him in person now." She flips the blender on temporarily, then pours the slushy green drink into two glasses and hands one to me. I smile at her with gratitude and raise the glass like she is with hers.

"To my dear friend Tris, and all her wild and amazing accomplishments!" she announces, then clinks my glass with hers.

"To this awesome opportunity of a movie, may it be life changing..." We clink and take sip, "for the better." I clarify.

"Yes." She says, and takes a chip from the bowl I put out for us to share. But as she goes to dip in the salsa, she pauses and seems to have remembered something. "Oh my gosh, I just remembered, have you seen the new Hugo Boss cologne commercial?"

* * *

I have nervous, yet excited butterflies in my stomach as I approach the warehouse style training center that we've been assigned to for the next five weeks. I am not only here to train and get myself prepared for this specific stunt role, but to help prepare the actors as well.

So I'm mentally preparing myself to meet everyone that will be joining us today. Yes, including the one that Susan was teasing me about crushing on when watching Underworld. And then that commercial she showed me...hot damn!

But it's not like it's that big of deal. He's just a guy. A _very_ _attractive_ guy. But still, just a guy.

All I can hope for is that he's friendly and easy to work with.

In general, I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little star struck every so often, especially like when I met Harrison Ford or Julia Roberts. I fumbled over my words like an idiot, and my cheeks hurt all night from smiling so much.

But still, like I told Susan, they're people just us. They just have an awesome job that happens to get them a lot of popularity.

So I guess keeping that reality in check, helps people like me work so easily in this business without getting all wrapped up in the Hollywood nonsense. You just get used to working alongside them like co-workers, even though our job descriptions are a bit different and they make more money than us.

It's actually a little chilly this morning despite it being a generally warm spring. So I'm glad I brought my half-zip pullover jacket to wear over my tank top. My leggings aren't very insulated though, so I'm looking forward to getting active and warming up a bit.

Once I enter the large grey concrete building, I'm greeted by Amar and a girl with a clipboard.

"Good morning Tris," he greets, but before I can reply, the girl signs me in and begins showing me where I can leave my bag.

Amar and Michael then pull me aside along with the other few stunt performers, and we go over our notes as far as what the training schedule will be like, and who will be working with who. We've already had a couple of meetings about this, but this is our first real first day of training! So I'm glad for the refresher.

Michael and I are pulling out the large blue mats when the metal door screeches open, indicating more people have arrived.

I just about choke on my breath of air as I see that it appears to be Tobias Eaton and Zeke Pedrad. They're chuckling with each other about something, smiles wide and eyes full of laughter. I'm actually a bit surprised, despite it being seven o'clock in the morning, they both seem to be in good moods and ready to work. Which isn't always what we see for training like this. Often times the actors stumble in half-awake, wearing their hats and sunglasses, cradling their coffee cups or red bulls like a lifeline. But I shouldn't stereotype, they're not all like that.

Instead, Tobias is wearing athletic shorts and a green hoodie, while carrying a large water bottle and a small gym bag. I briefly notice that Zeke is similarly dressed, but that's about all I notice because I can't seem to take my eyes off of Tobias.

 _He's even hotter in person, even from across the room._

I shake my head and continue setting up. I walk over to grab the other larger mat from the far corner, but when I turn around, I don't see Michael. I have no idea where he went, and these things usually require two people, or one much stronger one than me, since they're so big and heavy. Still, I think maybe I can do it.

Just as I bend my knees and reach to grab the edge of the mat, I casually steal another glance in their direction.

But surprisingly, I see that Tobias' eyes are already on me.

He's looking at me intently, with a look I can't decipher, until a few seconds pass and the corners of his mouth lift into a small smile.

Then suddenly, I realize he's walking _towards me_ , instead of walking with Zeke towards the small craft services table set up in the corner.

I instinctually look around, to see if someone is behind me. Someone else that he's actually looking at and walking towards. But it's just me here on this side of the room.

So I swallow thickly and flit my eyes back over to him and offer him what I hope is pleasant and professional smile, before turning my attention back to the giant mat I'm still holding onto. I'm not sure if he's still walking towards me, but I decide I better proceed with what I was doing.

I begin to tug on it, in attempt to pull it out into the wide open space as planned. It thankfully budges, and I manage pull it a few feet, but it's still kind of silly how little it moves, even if it is huge and weighs hundreds of pounds. So it'd probably take me a few minutes to get this thing pulled out by myself.

As if reading my mind, the person invading my thoughts happens to bend down beside me and grasp the mat to help.

He doesn't say anything, and neither do I. He just takes it upon himself to help me, but thankfully doesn't try to take over or make me feel like I'm an inadequate weak girl. That always annoys me when guys act like that. Instead, he joins my side and makes it a team effort, pulling the giant mat out where Amar wanted it set up.

Once it's there, I stand up straight and turn to face him.

"Thanks." I say, and I want to roll my eyes at how it unintentionally comes out much softer than my usual voice. I really need to make sure his effect on me isn't quite so obvious, how embarrassing.

"No problem," he says, glancing around at all the guys standing around and talking before we get started, "I didn't think it was fair you did all the work while everyone else stands around." he chuckles. "Need help setting anything else up?"

I feel the side of my mouth quirk up in a small smile, again, a little surprised at my first impressions of this guy so far.

"Nope, that was it."

He nods.

"I'm Tobias." he says, smiling and sticking his hand out. I shake it and try to ignore the fuzzy feelings it gives me as our skin connects and the way my small hand fits perfectly in his larger one. _It's just because you're being a fan girl right now, this will pass soon enough._

"I'm Tris, Nita's stunt double."

We're then interrupted as Zeke comes over to join in our conversation with his cheek stuffed with food and half a banana in his hand.

"Hey, what's up guys?" he asks, resting his arm on Tobias' shoulder as he looks at me, "Hi, I'm Zeke Pedrad, playing Rocco. Who are you?"

I'm a bit surprised by his bluntness, but his wide smile is friendly and welcoming. I can already tell he's buddies with Tobias and it's nice to see their comradeship.

Tobias laughs a little at Zeke's form of introduction, and I catch myself biting my lip. I quickly manage to release it from my teeth in effort to respond to Zeke, but then Tobias is answering for me.

"This is Tris, she was telling me how she's Nita's double."

 _He said my name._

 _...I like how he says my name._

"Awesome, maybe you can show us some of your tricks!"

"Tricks?" Tobias and I both ask at the same time and we all laugh.

"Well, stunts. You know what I mean. I bet you jump off huge buildings and other crazy fun stuff. Hey, I've always wanted to go sky div-"

But again, the conversation is cut short as Amar clears his throat, getting everyone's attention. It's then that I notice some of the other actors have arrived and are gathered around now too. He motions for the stunt team to come up beside him, so I follow the others up.

"Alright everyone, obviously when it comes to filming, we'll have a larger stunt team. But this is our core team right here," he gestures to the eight of us, "They'll be doubling for you guys," he says, now pointing to the actors, "and they'll be helping to coordinate the stunts in the scenes. Of course along with the director, art department, etc. You know how it is, but anyway, be open to their feedback throughout these next several weeks, they're professionals and are here to help train and prepare you for this film. Now, lets make some brief introductions before we start our training."

"You already know me," Amar continues, his hand on his chest, then outstretches it, gesturing to the guy beside him, "Here we have Michael Bernstein, my Assistant Lead Stunt Coordinator. In addition- Tobias, I'm under the understanding we're going to try and have you do most of your own stunts. However, be aware there may be a couple that insurance may not allow you to perform, in which case Michael will be stepping in, _if_ necessary.", he and Tobias share a nod, then Amar moves on and looks to the next guy, standing between Michael and I. "Here we have Chase Roman, he will be doubling for you Zeke. In addition, he's a certified climbing instructor and repeller, so he will be teaching that as well." Chase nods and everyone smiles and nods in greeting, just as they did with Michael.

"Next we have Tris Prior, doubling Nita...who unfortunately will not be joining us today due to other work related obligations." he says and shares a quick look with me, offering a small shrug as if he couldn't do anything about it.

I notice the cast share a few whispers at Amar's words, but they still smile and welcome me as well like they did the others. Again, my eyes catch those of Tobias for a moment before we look back to Amar, who is now introducing Nikolas Meyer, who's doubling for Albert. He moves onto Holli Martinez, Drew Diego, Peter Stone, and finally, Edward Dubreuil.

"Okay, now that you know everyone, let's partner up. Actors, pair up with your doubles. A lot of this training you could do solo, but we're going to have you try and work with your doubles as much as possible so that you can learn more about each other and create your character together, learn their body language, fighting style, etc."

As instructed, everyone pairs up. Except for me, since Nita isn't here. So I stand towards the front near Amar, waiting further instruction.

"Now, I want you to start off each work day with this warm-up routine. Follow along with your double."

And so we begin the stretching routine he had us memorize. I glance around as I do, briefly taking in the sight of the actors following the moves of their stunt doubles as if they're personal trainers.

Amar goes on to tell everyone the _importance_ of a good warm-up, and how if you don't, you could seriously injure yourself.

He also talks a bit about good nutrition and sleep habits, explaining how if they want to make the most of their training, and see the most results in this time frame, to consider how we treat ourselves and our bodies outside of work as well. He explains how this movie will involve a lot of running, but that they won't be covering much of that during actual training hours. So we're expected to run regularly in our off time to get ourselves ready for filming.

When we're done stretching, we proceed with body squats, lunges, jumping jacks, push-ups, jump rope, and so on. Very specifically the routine they put together. Meanwhile, he tells us how next week, a few of us will also start working with Kali/Jeet Kune Do expert, John Imada.

Once the warm-up is done, we stand and begin some training following Amar's verbal instruction. Starting with easier stuff, like tumbling, falling, and jumping. It's fun to be active out on the mats again, and get my blood pumping. Then he suggests we do some basic sparring. But being partnerless, I stand aside and help hand out the equipment.

Until I hear Amar speak up to Michael, "Mike, why don't you walk around and help everyone out, remind them of the style we're going for in this film, give them a sample of the choreography," Amar suggests, then he looks to me, "Tris, since Nita isn't here, go ahead and work with Tobias while Michael is making the rounds with everyone."

"Alright." I reply, walking to stand in front of Tobias, but I keep a couple feet of distance between us. I tell myself it's because that's what's appropriate, but a small part of me knows it's also because who knows what I'll do if I get too close. I've already thought of what it might be like to run my fingers along his muscular back or to lick that sexy collar bone that insists on peeking out above the top of his t-shirt. Seeing him rehearse and workout has been much too enjoyable. These thoughts _must_ stop. I really don't want to get caught ogling.

I shake my head, and focus my eyes on my black and white Nike sneakers, as Amar explains how he wants us to proceed.

We watch as Amar and Michael demonstrate the exact moves he wants us to practice. Knee, kick and block, knee, kick and block, as we hop backwards each time. It helps with hand-eye coordination, as well as teaching them to kick as the move forward rather than being stationary. All of these techniques are essential to work effectively like this when choreographing stunts, but sometimes they take practice if the person isn't as well coordinated.

Once Michael announces we're good to get started, I look to Tobias, trying my hardest not to seem nervous. He looks back at me with that sweet smile, seemingly excited to practice these moves. "Ready?"

I can't help but admire how his sexy lips stretch across those pearly white teeth. I bet he can be quite the charmer with that smile when he wants to be, but the way he looks at me...I don't know, maybe I'm imagining it, but he seems really genuine. I guess it's too soon to judge his integrity.

I nod and smile back, but quickly remove my jacket and toss it aside, so that I'll have better mobility in just my tank top. Plus, it's suddenly very warm in here.

"I don't love the idea of kicking or swinging a punch at you." he admits, "But this is all pretend." he says, as if reminding himself as he raises his arms into stance, trying to mimic what Michael had done to demonstrate.

I chuckle at that, and he smiles, almost looking a little relieved. Then we begin to train as we're supposed to.

After a while, Michael and Amar decided to go ahead and act out a small sequence for everyone to try and act out, a small fight scene of just a few moves each. Short enough to remember and practice within minutes on command like this.

Being the good listener Tobias seems to be, he follows each step precisely. I swing a fake punch, which he blocks, and grabs my arm, pretending to hit the back of it with his other arm, then grabs my wrist and swings it over his head to twist my arm. I get out of it and go for a kick, but he blocks it and goes for his final move, a swivel of his body and an elbow to the side of my head, where I of course pretend to get hit harshly and swing my head back, just like I would do if we were filming.

We practice these moves for a while, switching it up occasionally to change perspectives, Tobias throwing the first punch. He seems to be a natural, and I barely have to give him any pointers. We seem to work well together, and even get complimented by Michael. Before I know it, Amar calls our attention again, announcing time is up.

Tobias looks at me with an exhilarated smile, slightly out of breath just like me. "You're fun." he tells me as he lifts his hand into the air, palm ready.

I high-five his awaiting hand and smile back. "You haven't seen anything yet."

I don't mean for it to sound so flirty, but it is true, these are just exercises in my opinion. And I'm sure they are to him too, considering he's been in a few action packed films before. Although this is fun, I'm excited to get to the more extreme stuff. _Especially if he's involved._

Still, his comment is surprising. _He thinks I_ _'m fun?_

"Alright everyone, that's all for today. We don't want to over work you for your first couple of days, you've got to work up to that. Meet back up tomorrow, same time."

Almost everyone lets out a sigh of relief at that, Holli and Zeke even plopping down to lay sprawled out on the cushiony mat.

"I can't feel my legs." Zeke says.

"I know, I mean, I work out a couple times a week. But three hours straight is excruciating." Holli chimes in.

Tobias and I laugh at their comments, although I'm pretty wore out too. Still, I guess I'm more used to this lifestyle, so today was an easy day.

"Well, good job today. You're a natural." I say to Tobias, bending down to grab my water bottle from the ground off to the side.

"Thanks, you're a good teacher."

"I didn't really teach you anything, Amar and Michael did all the demonstrations. I'm just a good partner." I say with a shrug and a shy smile.

Then I realize what I said, and hope he doesn't read into it, like that I meant _partner_ in more than just this context. But why would he think that? Of course that wouldn't occur to him. Oh fuck, why am I over thinking everything?

"You're really good at all this Tris, it's obvious. We're lucky to have you a part of this team." he insists, giving me another small friendly smile before he nods his head at me and grabs his own water.

I don't know how to respond, so I just whisper a thanks as I smile shyly again and then take a drink of my water to distract myself and glance around for my jacket that I had discarded a while ago.

I notice Tobias goes for his hoodie too, having had taken it off also, leaving him in a well-fitting white t-shirt.

"Well, I better go grab my other stuff, but I'll see ya tomorrow" he says, still with that ever present smile, bumping elbows good naturedly with me as he walks by.

I know it's stupid to be so excited about the prospect of seeing him again tomorrow, it's certainly not like we have a choice. It's not like he's _asking_ to hang out with me, we both have to show up here for work.

Plus, I still haven't decided if I like him as a person yet, as I still barely know him, but...so far so good. It's a little surprising, it's not often the extra sexy ones are also down to earth and genuinely friendly. Still, this could just be him in a rare good mood, who knows. What if he's a complete douche some days?

But today, yes...Tobias was very nice, and funny too. I maybe kind of sort of really liked his company, and wouldn't mind training more with him tomorrow. So yeah, I have to reel back my grin when I reply to him as he walks backwards towards the locker area.

"See you tomorrow, Tobias."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **WOW! What wonderful feedback for chapter 1, I'm so glad you're enjoying this story so far!** **Please continue to let me know what you think!  
**

 **Yay for Tris and Tobias officially meeting! No, we have yet to introduce Nita, but she'll be making her appearance in the next chapter.** **And in case you're wondering where Christina is...don't worry, she'll be making her way into this story in the future as well.  
**

 **I also just want to say- I really appreciate all the favorites and follows. It's extremely encouraging knowing I have so much support and people enjoying my work!** **And a special shout out to my friend Ractre1127, thank you!**

 **Last but not least... I've made a Pinterest page!  
** **I'm still on Tumblr as well, but since I'm no longer doing picture collages on there, I decided to at least make a Pinterest page of photos that helped inspire the story.  
However, I'll be randomly adding photos/boards throughout the time I write this story, rather than just posting for individual chapters.  
If you'd like to check it out, come find me at: madisonrose1129  
(Sorry, m1129 and madisonr1129 were already taken!)**

 **:-)**


	3. Chapter 3

**"Role of a Lifetime"**

 **RATED M/MA (for language & sexual content...which will be coming in future chapters)**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 (Tris' POV)**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:  
_** ** _Sorry if you're one of my followers getting excited about an email showing a new update from me, when really this is just an edited re-post of chapter 3!  
Not much has changed since I originally posted this last night... I just realized it had auto-corrected me at put 'clinking' gloves instead of 'climbing' gloves, and it was driving me crazy so I had to fix it!  
_** ** _Anyway, if you haven't checked this chapter out yet (or just want to re-read it) feel free to check it out!_**

 ** _I'm hoping to get Chapter 4 posted this weekend.  
_** ** _:-)_**

* * *

When I arrive to the training center the next day, it's similar to yesterday in that the stunt double's arrive first, and we begin to set up before everyone else get here.

Once again, Tobias and Zeke are the first of the actors to arrive, both wearing similar clothes as yesterday, both with smiles on their faces again.

"Mornin' Tris." Tobias says with an easy smile directed at me.

I smile back at him, glad to have the same nice guy that I met yesterday seemingly standing here before me again. And of course, how could you _not_ smile back at that? No wonder he's a successful actor. "Good morning."

"So, what are we doing today?" Zeke asks me.

"Same as yesterday pretty much, boot camp style training. Except we'll be incorporating some rope climbing and controlled falls."

"Nice!" Zeke chuckles.

"How long have you been a stunt double?" Tobias asks.

"Yeah, you seem pretty young. What are you, 22? 23?" Zeke adds.

"Zeke! You're not supposed to ask a woman her age." Al playfully scolds as he joins us.

I chuckle, shaking my head. "I'm 25, thank you very much." I reply to Zeke, then look to Tobias, "I've been doing this for about six years, since my junior year in college."

"That's when I started acting too," Zeke says, "although I've got a few years on ya."

"Where did you go to school?" Tobias asks, seemingly really interested. In my peripheral vision, I can see Al watching us with a curious look.

"UCLA."

"Is it true that you were offered to be an NFL cheerleader?" Al interrupts, and I can't help but notice that Tobias looks slightly annoyed for being interrupted, but now he's looking at me curiously again, awaiting my answer.

I have no idea where Al got that information, I didn't realize it was something being gossiped about, but it isn't untrue. "Well, yeah, kind of. My dad's friend is...never mind, it's kind of a long story. But yeah, I decided that wasn't for me and that I wanted to try doing movies instead."

"I hear they make really good money though, probably way more than your making doing this." Al replies, but then Zeke chokes a little on his water, obviously surprised at this guy's odd comment. "I mean, not that you should've chose that instead, you're fantastic at this, obviously." Al adds in attempt to not sound so rude.

"Yeah, it's a good thing I don't really care about money. Sure I could make a ton more doing that, but I really don't feel like getting paid to strut around in skimpy outfits just to be a show piece. Instead, I chose this route and I happen to love what I do. And thankfully I'm able to live comfortably, so that's a plus." I say, but I'm not smiling like I had been earlier when just chatting with Tobias and Zeke. Al just irks me sometimes. But I can tell he's trying.

"That's awesome, it's hard to find people like that these days." Al replies, offering me a hopeful smile.

He begins to ask me another question, but then I heat a female voice speak up, announcing their presence, "Hey everyone, I finally made it! Sorry it took me so long, we can start now!" she says brightly, making all heads turn in her direction.

She's around my age, dark hair, pretty facial features, and similar to my height and weight. I of course recognize her fairly quickly, as this is none other than Nita Paolos, the actor I am doubling for.

"Nita, good to see you!" Zeke says, extending his hand to her, but she goes in for a hug.

"You too Zeke," she replies, patting his back before letting go and looking to Tobias. I can tell she tries to hold is stare for a moment longer, her lips quirking up slowly in a flirty smile, then she leans in and pulls him in for a tight hug too. "Tobias, it's a pleasure, as always. I'm so glad they chose you as lead, you're going to do great, I just know it."

"Yeah, this should be a lot of fun." he replies and drops his arms to his sides after giving her a polite hug. She lingers, but eventually steps away and looks to me.

I extend my hand and introduce myself with a friendly smile of my own, hoping to hit things off on a good start, "Hi, I'm Tris Prior, your stunt double."

"Oh," she says, looking at me, and I feel her judgement as I notice her look me up and down, but then she shakes my hand back and puts on a smile, "it's nice to meet you."

She doesn't say anything else though, just goes on to greet Al, who is still standing with us as well, until Amar announces we need to start our warm-ups.

I'm thankful for the breather and do as expected, by turning to get in position.

We all line up like yesterday, but this time I have to show Nita where to go and what to do, as she's my partner.

"Alright, since you weren't here yesterday, just follow my lead with the warm-up, and let me know if you need help with anything."

"Okay, cool," she says, sitting down on the ground to begin her stretches like I've started, "Although I'm sure I could figure it out, I've done plenty of training for plenty of movies. And I work out like almost every day." She chuckles.

"That's good," I chuckle too, trying still to be nice and make a good working relationship, although she's already testing my nerves too, and chuckling seems like the easiest thing to do right now, "But Amar wants us to do this specific routine before each training session, so we've all got to memorize it exactly. So please, pay attention. I'm sure someone like you will catch on with the first try."

I could swear I hear a small huff from her, but thankfully she listens, and things go pretty smoothly from there. She actually tries pretty hard and does well overall.

We even end up chatting a little in between. After hearing about her briefly, and her even asking me a few questions about myself, I decide she seems nice enough and this won't be so bad. But still, I don't forget that she's obviously got this subtle bitchy side. But...I've learned to accept having to work with people like this sometimes.

Of course throughout the morning, I find my eyes wandering over to Tobias every so often. He's usually focused on working with Michael, but a couple of times I caught him looking in this direction.

I assumed it was because of Nita. Not only is she his lead co-star, but she's definitely a sight in her leggings and pink sports bra. It's a bit warm in here, so she _had_ to take it off _._ But I could swear that Tobias makes eye contact with me at least once and smiled directly at me, because at that point she was off running towards the small trampoline to perform her controlled fall onto the cushioned mats below.

It was nice to know that smile was just for me.

"So, you excited about filming overseas?" I ask Nita in attempt to make small talk as we walk towards the ropes.

"Yeah, I love Paris and Germany, can't wait to go back. Plus, it'll be nice being there with the crew, everyone here is so nice." she adds, but then I notice she's watching Tobias as she says it. Her lips lift in a smile as she watches him work with Michael. "Isn't he perfect for this role?"

"I'd say so, he works really hard. Already seems to be a trained fighter, too."

"I was saying because of his looks, but sure, I guess that definitely helps too." she smiles, still watching him.

I look up to see Tobias towards the top of the rope, getting to the top faster than Peter who's on the rope beside him. I can't help but watch his arms as the muscles flex as he ascends the rope. Then I admire the back side of him, but apparently Nita had the same thought...

"Look at his backside, yum. And to think I have to do a sex scene with him, _ha!_ This is going to be fantastic, right?" she gives me a little giggle and squeal like we're old pals getting excited over boys.

For some reason my stomach twists a little at her comment, but I power through it. I know she's just rubbing that in trying to get under my skin. "I know, I'm glad we seem to have a good team. It sucks when we get stuck with condescending assholes." I say, handing her a pair of climbing gloves.

"I agree." she chuckles. "So, have _you_ been to Paris?"

"No, not yet, so I'm pretty excited." I reply as I show her the proper climbing technique, showing her how to properly wrap her hands and legs around the rope and whatnot.

She narrows her eyebrows at me just slightly, seemingly annoyed that I pointed out any areas of improvement, but she seems to listen to my words anyway and thankfully doesn't make any snide comments.

After a while, Amar finally calls it a day. But tells us to stick around for a few minutes while he prepares copies of next week's schedule.

Nita and I both reach for our waters, gulping the liquid down to quench our thirst. She heads off in the other direction as I offer Amar to help clean up. But he insists I not worry about it since I helped set-up again. So I head over to my gym bag and grab my towel from it to dab the small bit of sweat built up on my forehead. Then I toss it back in and zip it up before heading to the bathroom.

Upon returning, I see Tobias, Zeke, Al and Peter are all gathered around the crafts table grabbing some of the free snacks.

Tobias takes a seat next to Zeke and starts to eat a muffin. Nita seems to zone in on the empty chair on his other side and before I know it, she's practically sprinting towards it. I kind of want to roll my eyes, but she's so predictable, I really shouldn't be that surprised. I chuckle to myself and head towards the table to grab an orange juice and a muffin for myself, before taking one of the other empty chairs nearby.

"So, what's everyone doing after this?" Nita seems to be asking nobody in particular, but she ends up glancing towards Tobias as if to await his answer first.

Seconds drag by before he seems to realize she's waiting for him to say something, and he looks at her questioningly.

"Sorry, what?" he says, like he genuinely wasn't paying attention to her question.

"I was just curious what everyone's doing tonight, it's Friday. We don't have to work until Monday. So...any fun plans?" she tucks her leg underneath herself, getting more comfortable, before she starts running her hands through her hair as she watches him.

"Oh, I hadn't really thought about it since I don't have plans. Figured Zeke and I might hang out." he replies, looking to Zeke who nods and shrugs like he assumed the same.

"We could go snag the new Call of Duty. Peter was just telling me about it." Zeke suggests.

I think about how when we were training yesterday, Tobias had mentioned how he and Zeke had been in a movie a couple years ago together, and have been friends ever since. So when they flew out here to LA to start this movie, they were glad to have a pal along the way. They're even renting a house out here together. Apparently it's pretty huge and awesome, and has two master suites and a gigantic pool. Zeke told me all about it, explaining how he couldn't wait for his wife to come and visit, since it'll feel like a little vacation. Plus, he mentioned how much he misses her. It was really cute.

"Why don't we all do something together? Get to know each other better since we'll be working with each other for the next few months. Plus, this week has been crazy, right? I need to let loose a little." Nita suggests.

"We could check out some clubs." Peter chimes in.

"Tobias isn't much of a clubber." Zeke laughs, looking at him, "We've all tried taking him before. Besides, I don't want to drink too much and be out late, I've actually got a magazine interview tomorrow morning."

Tobias nods in agreement with his friend.

"We could go sight-seeing around the city." Al says from where he sits on my other side, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his legs.

"Sightseeing? I live in Beverly Hills. I see these sights every day." Nita says with a little laugh, "Besides, you guys have seen LA before. We should do something _fun_. But do you have any other ideas?" she asks Al, as if giving him another chance. But he looks down and shrugs.

She says all of this so sweetly, so jovially, that it's almost hard to catch her condescending under tones. I'm trying not to be judgmental, but I just have a feeling I'm not going to like her very much.

"Well, why don't we have dinner? We could go eat some place fun, maybe a staple of Los Angeles. There's plenty to pick from. But it should be something we _can't_ get back over on the east coast." Zeke says and Tobias nods again.

"Dinner sounds good." Tobias attests, and I notice his eyes flit to me for a moment and for some reason I nod a little too, as if in agreement. I notice a small smile creep onto his face, before he looks to Zeke. "Where should we go?"

"Awesome, this will be great!" Nita says excitedly, before grabbing her phone to start rapidly typing into it.

"What time should we meet?" Al asks.

"And where exactly?" Peter adds.

I feel a tap on my shoulder, finding Michael requesting me to come speak with Amar. So I get up and go join them, where they seem to be looking over some paperwork.

"Tris, I just got off the phone with Tucker. You know the car scenes?" Amar asks and I nod. "They're thinking of letting Tobias do them, no stunt car driver. He specifically requested to, if possible, and they say he's quite skilled behind the wheel. But... I think we should take him out to the track and see what he's got, with you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you're a trained driver, and can critique him and see if he's capable of what we're going for. Plus, you should get comfortable driving together, you'll be doing a few car scenes together after all. Nita should probably go too, at least for one day. Since she'll be filming some of it, she should get a feel for it too.

"Okay, sure. No problem."

"Alright, thanks Tris. We'll talk details later, but I appreciate you helping out."

"Any idea when will be doing this?"

"We'll have to look at everyone's availability, but hopefully we can do a few days next week."

Amar and I then go join the others as he hands out the training schedules, and our "homework" (stretches, running, healthy diet), before dismissing us and telling us we're good to head home.

When I head into the locker room to grab my stuff and change, Nita's already in there.

"Cute boots." I compliment with a smile as I make my way to my locker, trying to be friendly.

After talking to Amar, I was reminded how important this job is to me, and how much I appreciate their trust in me. So I really want to get along with everyone and make the most of this experience.

"Thanks." she replies, smiling back. "Got them at Barney's last time I was in New York."

"Any decisions on dinner?" I ask, unsure of the plan since I missed the end of the conversation.

"What?" she asks, now looking at me confused?

"Um, we were discussing dinner plans, but I got pulled aside to talk scheduling with Amar. Did you guys decide where to eat?"

"Oh, yeah, we did. But I just assumed..." Nita says softly, although she doesn't finish her sentence, she just trails off and looks at me with somewhat of an expectant look, but I don't know why exactly.

"Assumed...?" I ask her.

"I guess I assumed you knew this was just kind of a _cast_ get-together...I mean, if we had to invite all the crew too...well, you understand, right?" she says, as if she's letting me down gently.

I look at her, and I feel my mouth open and close without saying anything, just at a loss for words at the moment.

 _Did_ I just invite myself? I thought...well, I _felt_ included in that conversation. But maybe I read into it wrong. I guess I'm used to the actors often inviting me along when they go hang out, especially when we're filming a movie together. But I shouldn't just assume they'll always want my company. Even if I was included though, I'm realizing I don't think I'd want to be, if she'll be there.

 _Bite your tongue, Tris. But your fucking tongue, she's not worth it._

"Enjoy your night, Nita." I decide to keep it at that and just leave before I say something stupid and she goes off whining to Amar, so I just grab my stuff and turn for the door.

I exit the locker room and tug my bag over my shoulder as I head for the main exit door, waving goodbye to Amar and Michael who are gathering the last of their things as well.

When I get outside, I see Tobias, Zeke and Peter outside on the sidewalk talking.

"Have a good weekend, guys." I tell them kindly and with a small wave as I pass them, intending on heading towards my car.

But then Tobias speaks up, "Wait, Tris? Aren't you coming tonight?" he asks, and I stop mid-step.

I turn around to face them and my fingers fiddle with the strap of my bag when I see all of their attention is on me now.

"Tonight?" I ask, for some reason deciding to play stupid.

Tobias looks at me confused, "Yeah, we're all going to dinner, remember?"

"We decided on Ivy at 7 o'clock." Zeke chimes in.

"Oh, um, I thought that was kind of cast thing-"

"You didn't think you were included?" Tobias asks, seemingly a bit surprised, but then his face softens and he smiles. "We'd really like it if you came too."

"They're supposed to have the best chicken parm." Zeke says.

Meanwhile, Peter's phone rings and he pulls it from his pocket, looking at the screen. "I gotta go guys, but I'll see ya tonight." He says before walking away, leaving just the three of us standing there.

I'm still unsure of what to say. I obviously want to say yes now that they're actually inviting me, but do I really want to deal with Nita?

I guess I shouldn't let her get in the way, that's exactly what she wants.

"See you at 7?" Tobias asks again, but already nodding, as if to encourage me to do the same, which makes me laugh.

"Fine, if you insist." I say concede, but I'm sure the smile on my face gives away how much I'm looking forward to it.

* * *

The hot water feels incredible is it cascades down my neck and back, the tropical smelling body wash permeating through the steam and relaxing me after my long workout.

After I got home from training, it was early enough that I decided to go for a run. It helped calm me and clear my head.

Today was a good day...but I was annoyed by Nita, and I guess just...disappointed. Why couldn't she not more fun to work with?! Here I get this great part in this great movie...and the lead actress has to be _her_.

But as I ran, also I thought about Tobias and Zeke, and how nice they are. I really hope they weren't just inviting me because they felt bad. But I feel like they went out of their way to make sure I felt included, and encouraged me to go. So I'm glad I agreed, and decided to ignore Nita's attitude and not let it bother me.

Now here I am, home and standing beneath my shower with burning legs from the five miles I ran. But I revel in the feeling and even though I've scrubbed myself clean, I stand for a few more minutes enjoying the steam and relaxing feeling that takes over me in here.

I decided I'm not going to call Susan and go all decked out tonight, I'm just going to do things myself and keep things casual.

But a shower was definitely in order, and I'm glad I splurged recently and bought this fancy shampoo and conditioner, I absolutely love the scent.

When I'm done, I finish getting ready, deciding to give my hair a quick blow-dry, but mostly letting it just air dry in loose waves. I look over myself in the mirror, at the jean shorts and flow navy blue top that's hanging off one of my shoulders, with my brown leather sandals. _Too_ casual? It's not like the place we're going is fancy or anything, and it's hot out, so I decide to just wear it.

I grab my bag and phone before heading out to my VW, happy to be doing this, even though I have no idea what tonight holds.

Thankfully on the drive, I get too distracted singing along with Ellie Goulding to stress too much about it, and before I know it, I'm pulling into the parking lot. It's still light out when I get out of the car, and I admire how the sun is on its way towards settling along the horizon.

When I enter the restaurant, I glance around and see that it's a pretty full house tonight. But I guess that's expected on a Friday night.

"Good evening miss, how may I help you? Do you have a reservation?" the hostess greets.

"I'm actually meeting some friends, mind if I peek around?" I ask and she nods, allowing it, but watches me skeptically. But then I see the large booth in the corner, that's a bit hidden by the well-placed plants and decor. Sat there is Nita, Al and Zeke. I don't see Tobias, but that's definitely the group I'm here to meet.

"There they are, thanks." I dismiss the hostess and begin to step in that direction, but she holds her hand up.

"I'm sorry, we have a lot of private parties here this evening. Who did you say you were here with?" she asks, much more suspicious now, obviously not recognizing me as being a celebrity like the others I'm intending to sit with. It makes me want to roll my eyes, as usual, but I'm used to this.

"I'm uh, I'm here to meet-" I begin, but then I feel the presence of someone step up beside me, slightly closer than usual for a stranger. Enough so to cause me to look to my right with a questioning look. Only to see Tobias standing there looking at me with a smirk.

"She's here with my group. I let the other host know we were expecting a few more." Tobias explains to the girl, and just like that, she swallows and nods.

"Oh yes, of course Sir. I apologize for the confusion." she says, standing aside to clear the walkway from where she had been blocking me.

He looks back to me with a smile and gestures with his hand for me to lead the way, so I do.

"I was just using the restroom, glad I ran into you." he tells me.

"Yeah, thanks. I don't think they would have let me through otherwise." I say with a chuckle as we weave our way through.

"I guess I'll have to give you my number in case we run into this problem again, you should be able to get a hold of me." he says, and I chuckle nervously, not knowing if he's serious or just making a joke. Sure, it definitely wouldn't be the first actor's number I have in my phone, I've made friends over the years. But _him_?

As we approach the table, everyone looks up and greets us with enthusiastic hellos and smiles. But I can also see the surprise on Nita's face. At first I think it's just from the fact that I came at all, considering the little conversation we had in the locker room. But then I see the way she looks from me to Tobias and I wonder what exactly she's thinking. Surely she's probably surprised that he talks to me at all, but again, I try not to dwell on it and just have a good time.

I slide into the booth first and scoot in until I'm next to Zeke. Then Tobias slides in next to me, leaving room on his other side for more people. Again, I see the look Nita makes when he doesn't sit next to _her_ on the other side.

This is actually pretty amusing...yet, my palms are sweating. What did I get myself into?

"Glad you made it, Tris." Zeke says, looking over at me with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, I didn't realize you'd be joining us." Nita comments, and although it comes out in her sweet sounding voice, I sense the challenge in it. She's annoyed.

"We talked her into it." Tobias tells her, but then looks at me and gives me a friendly nudge and smile, "Hey, any suggestions on what to get?" he asks me before grabbing the menu.

Yes...that just happened. _Ha! Take that Nita!_

"I've only been here once, but I really liked the lobster ravioli. Excellent Caesar salad too."

"Mmm...that does sound good," he says, rubbing his jawline with his hand as he thinks, reading over the menu options. The gesture is so cute that I can seem to stop watching him, until I finally pinch my own leg to get myself out of my trance. I focus back on my own menu and try to focus on the words in front of me.

"We should wait to order, I think Peter, Will and Molly are coming too." Zeke chimes in and Tobias looks over to him.

"Nice, that'll be fun." Tobias replies, reaching for his own water glass, "I haven't seen Will since we did read-throughs."

"Well, let's order drinks at least." Nita suggest, and from there, we start passing around the drink menu, talking about our favorite drinks.

I decide on a glass of wine, and I notice Tobias eyeing the beer list.

Will arrives just before the server comes by and takes our drink order, happy to join the group.

"Will, what have you been up to, man?" Tobias asks

"Been filming a commercial this week. Well, the voice work at least." Will tells us, and I understand why. His British accent is definitely appealing. Although I still prefer Tobias' deep dulcet tone that seems to give me goosebumps regularly.

"Nita, weren't you working on a commercial earlier this week too?" Will asks her.

She gives him a flirty smile, "Yes, actually I was. It's for Clairol, their natural instincts hair color product."

"You do have very nice hair." Al compliments and she smiles at him too.

"I don't actually use their product, but it's fun and easy money."

"Hey!" Peter greets as he approaches us with his own stunt double, Drew, which makes me feel a little better and less intrusive. Behind him are Molly and surprisingly, Max Young. "Hope you don't mind I brought a few more people."

"Hey Guys!" Zeke greets them with his big grin, reaching a hand out to shake whoever's closest.

"Max, long time no see, man!" Tobias says, shaking his hand.

"I know, how's it goon'?" Max replies, then looks at me and shakes my hand as well. "You in this movie too? Or are you this lucky bastard's girl?" He looks between us and I sure the flush on my cheeks is obvious.

"Oh, uh, no," I chuckle at myself, "I mean, yeah...I'm in the movie. I'm Nita's stunt double, Tris."

He smiles, still looking at us, then shakes his head a little and moves on to say hi to Nita, Will and Al.

Once everyone is settled, we order our food. I end up ordering the same as I did last time, knowing I love it.

Tobias orders the same, as does Al, while everyone else gets a variety of other tasty sounding things.

As we wait for our first course to arrive, everyone chats and gets to know each other. Although as usual, I'm feeling a bit shy, so I keep relatively quiet. But Tobias and Zeke especially, tend to ask me questions here and there to keep me a part of the conversation.

A short while later, after we've enjoyed our salads, Tobias leans in to speak to me a bit more quietly, "This is really good." I turn my head to look at him, finding him looking at me with a small smile as he chews his bite. "Thanks for the suggestion." He adds after he swallows.

"What can I say, I have smart taste buds." I reply, mentally scolding myself for having that be the first answer that comes to mind. Oh well.

"You'll have to show us some more good places around LA while we're here." Tobias suggests.

I smile, but look down at my lap feeling my neck heat up a little. "Yeah, of course, anytime."

"Have you lived in LA your whole life?" He asks.

I nod my head, but explain a little more, "Born and raised in Simi Valley. But I live in Santa Monica now. I love being near the beach, but still centrally located for work."

"Santa Monica...that's about a half hour from here, right? I hear it's really pretty there."

I nod in agreement, "Yeah, a little less crazy than being here in the heart of the city. But traffic sucks sometimes. It's a good thing I love music, and the occasional audio book." I admit with a small laugh, but decide to change the topic. Surely he can't be too entertained just hearing about me. "Are you from New York originally?"

"Chicago, actually. Moved to New York when I was 22, started getting some work out there."

"So you've been there for...?" I ask, hoping that's not too nosy. Although it's not like I couldn't just google this info right now. _But I've already restrained myself from doing that so far._

"About six years...I just turned 28." He tells me with a cute smirk on face, thankfully not seeming discouraged by my question.

"You like it there? I always imagined it would be fun to have a brownstone or something, no car..."

"Yeah, there's definitely something charming about it, ya know? But I think eventually, I'd rather live someplace less busy...and well, sunnier." He chuckles.

I nod in agreement, but don't say anything else as I see the food arrive.

The server dishes everything out and we all dive into our meals. At Tobias' first bite, he gives me a look that shows me how much he likes it.

"How is it?" I chuckle.

"Amazing." He states, spearing another large ravioli onto his fork and eating it. He chews and finishes swallowing it before adding, "I think our taste buds are going to get along just fine."

I actually let out a small uncontrollable giggle at his comment, although there was a bit of a snort to it too if I'm being honest.

"I just realized how that sounded." He chuckles and wiggles his eyebrows, and I laugh, but I could swear I notice his eyes flit down to my mouth briefly. _Must be the reference of taste buds._

For the next...who knows how long, we all eat and talk and get to know even other. Tobias and I talk a little more every so often, even zoning out the others long enough to not notice the servers already dropped off the check.

But what am I say? We got caught up talking about True Detective and that led to us talking about our past movies and other similar projects.

For some reason I'm happy to find we have similar taste and get along so well. Even though nothing could ever come of this, it's nice to have a friend that I can talk to so comfortably, even if he is a famous movie star...who could probably get me off on command.

* * *

 **Author's Note #2:**

 **Thank you so much for reading! And for all your wonderful reviews so far, I really appreciate the feedback!**

 **If you'd like to check out some of my inspiration for this story, feel free to check out my Pinterest page for it! (Username: madisonrose1129)**

 **I'm still on Tumblr too, username: madisonr1129**

 **Also, many of you have been requesting Tobias' POV too.** **I will be including some chapters from his perspective, but those won't happening for awhile.**

 **:-)**

 **Until next time,  
** **Madison**


	4. Chapter 4

**"Role of a Lifetime"**

 **RATED M/MA (for language & sexual content)**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 (Tris' POV)**

* * *

It's been two weeks since we started training for this film, working Monday through Friday all morning and into the early afternoon. It's been tiring work, as it always is, but has proven to be effective, and Amar is pleased with everyone's progress.

I'm glad everything has been going smoothly, and that everyone seems to be doing well with their roles. Plus, everyone has been getting along well, and things have been fairly drama-free, which is how I prefer things.

Nita has her good days and her bad days. Overall, she's still often the one to cause any headaches. I'd definitely call her annoying, and conceited, but...she's tolerable.  
Although there have been a time or two that I went home after work and screamed into my couch pillow for a good five seconds before calming myself and deciding to just move on with my day, trying not to let her bother me. I know that's just how she is and there's nothing I can do about it, and thankfully have learned how to tune her out most of the time. So it works out pretty well. But it's still frustrating when she can be so insulting sometimes. Not just to me, but to pretty much everyone (well, besides Tobias or Amar, she'd never say anything negative to either of them).  
But I do well at biting my tongue and minding my own business, only speaking up when necessary in order to correct her stunt training, as suggested by Amar.

Tobias and Zeke are still my favorite people to work with, being that they're just the most fun and I get along with them best. It doesn't hurt that they have similar interests, and that they're so kind to me, often including me in conversation, or hanging out once in a while after work as a group. They don't act like snobby celebrities that are better than everyone else. Instead, they treat people with equal respect and attention. It's refreshing.

But everyone else is cool too...

I've continued to witness how great Amar is at his job, and a true example of what a Stunt Coordinator should be. It gives us a lot of confidence making a movie when they have talented people in charge.

Michael and the rest of the stunt team are also very skilled, and I'm honored to work alongside them. It's a really good group.

I've learned that Al can be really sweet, although he doesn't always think before he speaks, and often has to back pedal because of the situations he puts himself in. But he's a goofball and has a ridiculously obvious crush on Nita, which is pretty amusing to witness. Tobias and I have shared a laugh about that a couple of times as we witnessed him flirting with her.  
Peter is a little bit of a flirt himself, but more of a playboy. And he can be a little cocky and sarcastic when he drinks (which I've witnessed twice now), but overall, he's pretty fun to work with too. He seems to have a good heart buried deep in there. But it also helps that he works really hard when it comes to training, so he doesn't get his personal life get in the way of his work.

We also met Jack Kang, the Second Unit Director, who will be filming the stunt scenes. He seems nice, and knowledgeable, so that's good.

A fun treat for Tobias, Michael, Zeke, Chase, Nita and I, was to meet work with John Imada, who is a Kali/Jeet Kune Do expert. He trained us for two days, a couple hours each day. But apparently Tobias continued training with him up until yesterday, as they wanted him to be more thoroughly skilled in that style of martial art since he'll be using so many of those techniques in the film.  
Watching him practice has truly been mesmerizing, I had to regularly remind myself not to stare.

Now today, Tobias is continuing onto another segment of training for the film...stunt driving. He pulled some strings, and an agreement was made that if he can show Amar, Jack and I that he can handle himself behind the wheel of a car, he'll be given the thumbs up to do all of Four's driving scenes himself.

"Hello?" I answer my cell as I put on my Chucks. I decided on some stretchy skinny jeans and a black long sleeved shirt today, keeping it comfortable and flexible.

"Hey, it's Tobias," I hear a familiar voice greet me, although this is the first I've heard it over the phone before, "I hope you don't mind Amar gave me your number."

I about drop the phone, and I'm glad I'm home and alone so nobody can witness the grin that takes over my face at his words. _Is he serious?_

"Oh, um- no, of course not." I reply, remembering I need to speak. "What's up?" I ask casually. I hope he's not calling me to cancel...

"Amar called and said he's running late, forgot he has a meeting, so won't be there until this afternoon. So, since it's just me and you, figured I'd see if you want to carpool."

"Really?"

"Yeah, why not? It'll be fun. Plus, you can get a head start at seeing what a great driver I am." I can hear the smile in his voice.

"Okay," I chuckle, "so, are you picking me up? Or should I meet you somewhere and leave my car?"

"Are you at home?"

"Yeah."

"Text me your address, I'll pick you up."

"Are you sure it's not out of your way?"

"Shush, no," he admonishes, "I'm already in the car hearring towards Santa Monica, I just need to have Siri direct me to your house now. So text me your address."

"Okay. Wait, you're on your way now? We don't have to be there until Noon."

"Shouldn't we grab breakfast first?" he suggests casually.

"Oh...yes, you're probably right." I reply with a small laugh. "Well, see you soon then?"

"Yes, you will." And with that, he hangs up.

My heart is suddenly pounding, and I'm trying my hardest to tone down my grin. But as I run back to the bathroom to check myself in the mirror again, I see the flush of my cheeks and the excitement in my eyes, and it...startles me.

Just for a moment, I stand there and consider how excited I get for these movie roles and for other things in life, like when I closed the deal on this house, I'm generally a happy person. But this is different, I don't know if I've ever seen myself so excited over a _guy_. I know it's pointless, as the likeliness of something romantic blooming between us is like one in a million, but... I let myself enjoy this. Even though this is by no means a date, he still chose to reach out to me and ask to hang out with me before we do our required work duties for the day as planned. So I'll take what I can get, I'm more than happy to be his friend. I always have fun with him, and if he enjoys my company too, why not?

And now I actually have his number! _Shit! I forgot to text him!_

I scramble back into the other room for my phone and quickly text him my address, before programming his number into my contacts.

Shortly after, I hear the ping indicating I got a text.

 _[Incoming Text- Tobias: Had me worried you changed your mind there. :) See you in ten.]_

I decide to take a deep breath and remind myself to just...be myself. Calm down and don't stress.

Five minutes later, I decide I better just go outside and wait. I don't want him to have to walk to my door, or honk, or whatever he would do when he arrives.  
So I grab my purse and usual favorite clear water bottle, and lock the front door behind me.

I step out and immediately enjoy the feel of the sunny California rays beaming down onto me through the crisp cool morning breeze.

I find myself pacing back and forth on the porch for a few minutes, but it's not long until he pulls into the driveway beside my car.

I recognize his black rental car- a Camaro SS. I admire its style and the fact that it's quite a quick muscle car. And even though it's only about a year old, it still feels reminiscent of the classics that I prefer. But it's something I've driven a dozen times, and although it'll always have a special place in my heart, I'm more excited to get into the cars we're planning on driving this afternoon- I'm a sucker for supercars. It's kind of embarrassing actually, I'm a girl that loves cars like many girls love shoes. Although I love shoes too...just not as crazily as some of the women I know.  
Maybe it's because I can't afford a fancy car like that, but actually getting to drive them regularly...I don't know. I just feel really blessed to have all these opportunities. So I won't want to take them for granted.

Especially when there's a bonus of excellent company, such as my companion today.

As I make my way over, I'm a little surprised when I hear him cut the engine and get out of the car. I walk over to meet him half way and he smiles at me, "Good morning."

"Indeed," he says as I take in the sight of his well-fitting black jeans and comfortable looking plaid button up shirt. "I'm actually really excited about this, it's been a while since I could just step on it and drive really fast, ya know?"

"I think you'll like it, this place is pretty awesome."

"You've been?"

"Yeah, it's one of the places I trained. And I've been there to practice a few times since then for a couple of other projects." I explain and he nods, but before he can speak, I decide to get the ball rolling. I don't want to ruin this by boring him with my training experience, schooling and so on. It's not very interesting. "Anyway, you ready to go?" I ask.

He nods, but then his eyes go to my car parked beside us. "Is this a Golf R?" he asks of my VW, and I look at him to see if he's serious or just teasing, but he looks sincere and patiently awaiting my response, and starts to walk around it admiring it.

"Yeah, um, yeah it is. Just bought it a few months ago, got a good deal on last year's model. It's been great." I tell him, having no idea why I decided to include all that detail.

But I completely forget about it as I watch his lips twitch into a coy smile.

"Yeah, I read about these in a magazine on the plane recently. They're pretty quick, and are supposed to handle great too." he says, looking over my little white hatchback car, then he looks at me with one of his eyebrows raised slightly and that sexy smile still present, "Can I drive it?"

I really do love my car, and the things he says about it are true. I just didn't think he'd ever really notice this type of car since there's so many better options out there that surely catch his eye that he could actually afford. I'm a bit surprised.

"It's almost as quick as your Camaro there, zero-to-sixty in just over 4 seconds." I state with a small smile, liking that he seems to actually be showing interest and that it doesn't seem like he's just making fun of me. Not that I'd ever suspect he would.  
The look he gives me is adorable as he listens to me talk about it, and I finally find myself asking, "You really want to drive it?"

"Yeah, if that's not weird for you?" he says.

I grab my keys out of my bag and toss them to him. His smile widens and it does things to me that I should not be thinking about right now. Especially since we're going to be in an enclosed space together for the next 20-30 minutes and I really need to remain professional.

Why do I always feel such a sexual rebel when I'm around him? We're co-workers, and he's a very important person that could probably get me fired pretty easily if he really wanted to. Plus, he'd probably never be attracted to me.  
So I shouldn't be thinking things like... how if I had worn a skirt today, he could _hypothetically_ have much better access to reach over and touch me as he drives, if he were to decide he wanted to do that.

Yet again, I physically shake my head a little to clear those thoughts from my mind and focus on what is going on around me in the present, in reality. In the reality where that wouldn't happen, and couldn't very easily anyway because I wore denim jeans today like a damn professional would say I should for safety reasons. _Even though it seems like I end up having to do half of my stunts in skirts and dresses and high heels, so why should it really matter?_

Once were in the car, he presses his right foot on the break and his left on the clutch and turns the key to start it up. He then carefully backs out of my driveway and heads down the street. As instructed to do so today, I pay attention to his driving skills, and it's obvious this is a piece of cake for him. He's expertly switching gears with the manual gear shift while obeying all the local driving laws and still managing small talk with me.

"This is a good car, it seems like you." Tobias says once I've given him instructions on where to go.

"It does?" I ask from the passenger seat, an amused smile on my face. But then I wonder what he means by that...hopefully not simply because he considers it cheap...he wouldn't think that and imply a double-meaning there, would he?

"Yeah, in a way it does," he chuckles, "But I mean that in a good way. Ya know, like- it's... small, fun, agile...cute."

And that's when my heart about pounds right through my chest. Did he really just make that analogy?

He sees my reaction to his comment, and probably the deep blush on my cheeks. He chuckles and gives me a flirty little smile. He looks like he's about to say something, but thinks better of it and instead says, "Surely you must be used to hearing compliments pretty regularly," he says with a smile before changing the subject, "So, you were saying you trained for a while at this place we're going?"

I'm surprised he brought this back up, but since he did on his own accord, I decide to answer his question. "This is actually the stunt driving school I attended a few years ago. They have a three-day class. Not only do they have great instructors and their own mile and a half long track, but there's also a huge wide converted tarmac area that is perfect for practicing all sort of things."

"That sounds awesome, and I hear they have some nice exotic cars to pick from too. You going to show me some of your tricks behind the wheel?"

"You sound as excited as Zeke."

He laughs and plays with the gear shift in neutral as we wait at the red light. I can't help but glance down and look at his long fingers, before my eyes travel up his muscular forearms, which are mostly uncovered since his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows.

He looks over at me briefly, "What can I say, maybe I'm addicted to speed." He glances back at the light, then at me again, "Not the drug, of course." he chuckles and I laugh too.

"So, what kind of music do you like?" I ask, making my own attempt at conversation as I turn on my stereo, but keep the volume down low enough so that we can still talk.

He smiles at me once more before the light turns green and he presses on the gas pedal, accelerating a little quicker than he has so far, but he doesn't put me at unease. I can tell he's got control of the car, but is having a pinch more fun with it.

"A little bit of everything I'd say, I've got really eclectic taste. What about you? What were you playing last on your phone?" he asks me, gesturing to my auxiliary cable that's plugged in and hanging out.

I think about it before replying, so that I give an honest answer, "Same here, eclectic taste... I think I was checking out the new Halsey cd last? I've been really getting into Phoenix lately...and I was cleaning my house to Rolling Stones yesterday, I love classic rock."

"Sounds like you have good taste..." He smiles, holding the cord up, "plug it in and put it on shuffle?"

I do as he asks, but he doesn't turn it up, just keeps the volume low and continues talking to me, but often complimenting the songs that come up- which often leads to other random conversation.

We end up talking the whole way to Huckleberry, which is where we decided to eat breakfast, and he does perfectly with parallel parking just a short ways down from the restaurant. But before he gets out of the car, he pulls on his baseball hat.

He's already wearing his sunglasses, so with the two, it actually does help make him a little less recognizable at first glance, which I presume is what he's attempting to do. But I feel bad putting him in this position if it can be avoided. Even though the couple interactions I have witnessed him have with fans, he's always been gracious and kind with them...I'm sure this gets tiring.

"If you'd rather, you can tell me what you'd like and I can just go grab it to-go, so that you don't have to get out of the car." I offer, and he looks at me curiously.

"I thought we'd go in and sit and enjoy our meal, we have plenty of time," he says, glancing at his watch to make sure, before looking back to me, "is that cool?"

"Um, yeah, sure, of course." I reply.

We fall in step side by side as we make our way down the sidewalk until we reach the cute concrete building, and he pulls open the door for me. We wait for a woman and her daughter to exit before he ushers me ahead of him with his hand on my lower back.

It's just a faint touch, but it seems to make me feel like my skin is on fire. I can only imagine what it would feel like to have his arms wrapped completely around me... _Stop it Tris!_

As we step inside, I'm immediately greeted by notes of cinnamon and the scent of fresh baked pastries coming from the kitchen.

I notice Tobias remove his sunglasses and tuck them into his shirt collar, then I watch as his eyes take in the giant pastry case and the menu of various delicious sounding breakfast and lunch items.

"This okay?" I ask of the restaurant suggestion and he nods with an appreciative smile.

"Yeah, I have no idea how I'm going to narrow down what to get though." He chuckles, seeing as how it all looks delicious.

"I've liked everything I've tried." I say with a shrug.

"That's a good sign." He tucks his hands in his pockets as he looks up, reviewing the menu again. I take just one more quick moment to admire his jaw and the stubble along it, before looking up to the menu myself and deciding what to get.

When we step up to the counter, the girl instantly recognizes him and her smile just about goes ear to ear. But to her credit, she remains professional and doesn't mention it. Maybe they're trained to be discreet whenever they get celebrities in here, many places are like that around here.

The girl asks to take our order, and Tobias gestures for me to go first.

"I'd like green eggs and ham, please." I say, deciding to finally try it. I've always wanted to, knowing I love pesto, but I usually go with one of my other safe favorites.

"Anything to drink?" the girl asks politely.

"Arnold Palmer, please."

"And for you, sir?" she asks Tobias.

"I'd also like an Arnold Palmer, and...how about the brisket hash," then he looks to me, "should we each get something from there? Look at those scones..."

We end up ordering a couple of other yummy things like he suggests, but thankfully it's still early enough that we beat the crowd, so we don't have a line behind us.

Once we're done ordering, I grab my wallet out, but he insists on paying, saying _he_ invited me, so that's that deal breaker. After he pays the employee, she offers us both a smile before we turn to go find an empty table. We do, and thankfully it's in the corner.

Everything continues to go well as we wait, and I laugh when I learn Tobias had never heard of an Arnold Palmer before, but decided to order it since I did.

Turns out he enjoyed it though, so that's good.

Our food looks mouthwatering as it's set in front of us. The eggs look cooked perfectly and the arugula is nice and fresh. Plus, the prosciutto in my dish, and the brisket in his, both smell amazing.

We end up having a really enjoyable and uninterrupted meal together, talking and laughing, getting to know each other a little more. Even though conversation remains light, and he rarely offers information about his personal life, he still shares quite a bit about himself.

It's only when we get up to leave and another group goes to swoop in and take our table, that we get interrupted by a fan. It's a girl, probably in her late teens who seems to be here with her family that recognizes him and asks for a picture. He kindly obliges and autographs her paper take-home menu as a keepsake, since that's the closest thing nearby she could think of for him to autograph.

Once we're back in my car, I program my phone so it tells him the directions to the track. I remain quiet, not quite sure of what to think about what just happened.  
We just enjoyed a wonderful breakfast together, just the two of us. Even if it wasn't a date, I think it was a successful outing. Good food, and well, everything felt comfortable and fun. I can only hope he felt the same way.

But he did get recognized...what if she goes off telling people she saw him with me? _Tobias Eaton seen eating out with pale wide-eyed mystery girl..._ I don't want to be the cause of any drama or trouble. Maybe this isn't a good idea.

"Everything okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, I...well, what if that fan goes and gossips that you went out with some girl? I mean, even though _we_ know we're just co-workers eating out together, she could make up so many assumptions, and I don't want to ruin your image of who you hang out with or cause any-"

"Tris, don't worry about it. I'm not, you shouldn't either."

"You aren't?"

"No, I'm allowed to go out to eat with my friends. Let people gossip all they want." he shrugs, but then he turns his head briefly to look at me, a stern but caring look in his eye, "And don't you ever think you're ruining my image or anything of the sort, that's ridiculous. Not that I care about that sort of thing anyway, but if I were to...trust me, you're only enhancing my image. Taking a pretty girl out to eat and for a day of driving...doesn't sound all that bad." he says with that fucking wink and smile before looking over his shoulder and switching lanes to merge onto the highway.

I look down at my lap, not bothering to withhold my smile, "You really like to make your friends uncomfortable by rubbing in the compliments, huh?"

"I do. But only when they deserve them." he says, patting my knee twice, then puts his hand back on the wheel and goes on to tell me how he did some fun driving work for some police chase scenes on a TV show he did in New York. Then goes on to ask me about some of the craziest car stunts I've done before.

Although sometimes when I tell him these types of stories, his reactions can be pretty amusing. He seems horrified of the idea of me putting myself in some of these situations, yet at the same time, he thinks it's so badass and cool and wants to learn the specifics on how it's all done.

When we pull into the parking lot, he's got that boyish grin again, obviously excited for what's to come.

We get the technical briefing, learning the most efficient techniques for driving the track, and some standard safety precautions. Then they give us each a helmet and direct us towards the large hangar-style garage.

"We usually do the first lap with you as passenger, so you can get a feel for the track, but we figured we'll have Tris drive it instead of one of our guys...if you'd like." the guy explains as he opens the giant garage door with the little remote in his hand.

Lined up before us are 5 gorgeous supercars, all waiting for me to take them for a lap around the track.

"Nice..." Tobias says, stepping forward to get a better look at them, as do I. "Yeah, Tris will do it." he speaks on my behalf, but then looks to me with a hopeful look, "Right?"

"Okay." I say without hesitation, and the guy, I think his name is Ross, laughs.

"Question is-, which one to take out first?" he says, leaning against a beam in the garage.

I shrug, looking to Tobias with a smile. "You pick," I say, then look to our selection, "We have a Ferrari 458 Italia," I say, referring to the cherry red beauty to my left, then look to the silver Benz in front of me, "a Mercedes AMG GTS," I look at the gorgeous white Audi next, then to the tangerine colored car next to it, "then there's the Audi R8 V10, a Porche 991, and...", then I look at the yellow Lambo, which model is that again? "and the Lamborghini Gallardo. Or is that the Huracan?" I ask, looking to the guy for correction. "I always get those two confused."

He smiles and nods, "Very good, you know your cars. And yes, that's the Gallardo. Although I am expecting a Huracan to arrive on Saturday, so if you'd like to come back and take it for a spin..."

I smile and nod, knowing we're coming back tomorrow and Saturday anyway, per Amar's request.

I then look back to Tobias to see him looking at me, watching me with that intense expression that I can't quite seem to read. When I catch him, he looks down for a moment, then back up at me with a smirk. He nods his head towards the Ferrari. "We're going to try them all anyway, let's just move left to right." he suggests, then steps towards the passenger door and pulls his helmet on.

I do the same, but slide into the driver's seat. Once we're both safely buckled inside and cleared to go, I glance over at him. "Obviously you know I'm going to be driving fast, but if ya know...you want me to slow down or stop, just….tell me, okay?" It's the same thing I tell everyone I get in a car with if I'm going for speed. If I'm going to have a passenger, I don't want them to be uncomfortable.

"I'm not worried, I trust you." he tells me.

"Okay, well, here we go." I say, excited as I start the engine and hear that familiar growl of the engine. I put it into first and make my way from the garage to the track entrance, explaining various features of the vehicle to Tobias since he's yet to drive one of these before.

But once I'm on the track and get the green for go, I'm off!

It had originally taken me several hours of practice to really get down the paddle shifters, but once I did, I can pretty much drive anything now. So I'm glad to pick up on this so easily.

I point out areas of the track to be careful with, and the areas that took me the longest to get down right. I also show him the best areas to start breaking before turns, as well as how to handle this car a little easier when it gets a little drifty around some turns.

By the time I come to a halt at the end, I'm grinning like crazy, and I realize, so is he.

"That was so fucking sexy." he says bluntly and I laugh. Geez, he's such a flirt.

"It's true. But seriously, you're a damn good driver, Tris. That was awesome." he says and I roll my eyes and hop out to switch him seats, and he keeps talking, "Really, you could this into a career if you wanted. Not that you should, I'm just saying..." he adds with a small laugh.

"Getting on the track with more than a dozen other cars is a whole other thing...that idea kind of terrifies me," I say with a chuckle as I buckle in. "But when I know the track is clear for me, or if I'm aware of just one or two other cars out here with me, then I'm good."

"Well, let's see if I can at least get half as good of time as you." he says, and buckles himself too. Then he takes off, following my suggestion of the racing line, only missing a few spots here and there. But it's obvious he's got a ton of experience and needs little instruction. Although he doesn't quite hit my lap times, he gets damn close.

After a few laps, we switch cars and take turns again. Then after a while, we take a couple of the cars out to the wide flat tarmac and practice various maneuvers, even getting a little competitive with who can do the best donuts.

When we eventually get out and are done for the day, we remove our helmets, and it's adorable how sweaty and messy his golden brown hair is. I find myself desperately wanting to tug on it with my fingers.

I imagine my hair can't look too great right now, so I bend over and shake it out and pull it up into a ponytail that I know I can do okay blindly. I then arch my back a little to stretch my muscles as I walk around to the front of the car where he's waiting for me with a content look. We're both pretty wiped out, but this was such a blast, I don't think you'll hear any complaints from either of us.

"You did amazing-" I begin to tell him, but suddenly we hear a clapping coming from someone in the stands, and we both look over to see Amar walking towards us. We hadn't heard from him, so assumed he got stuck at that meeting and couldn't make it. So we continued on as he suggested we do until he got here. Little did we know he had been observing from the metal bleachers for that last twenty minutes.

"Good job you two," he says as he nears us, "Tris, I knew you were excellent, but that was a lot of fun to watch. And Tobias- you've got some serious talent too kid, who would have known?"

Tobias chuckles and sets his helmet on the nearby table as he grabs a bottle of water, "I like to drive, so I try to do well during the opportunities I get." he shrugs, but then he looks to me and then to Amar. "But Tris was a huge help today too, she made me feel really comfortable out there, and showed me a lot of helpful pointers."

I roll my eyes, knowing I didn't really actually do that much, he's a natural, just like he is with his fighting and other stunt abilities I've witnessed so far.

"Well, no wonder you wanted to do your own stunts and driving. From what I can see, it seems you can handle it all just fine." Amar tells him.

Tobias smiles in gratitude, "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"You two seem to work well together too." Amar comments, looking between us.

In attempt to conceal my ever present pink cheeks, I go for my water and thankfully Amar continues on.

"Now just a reminder- today was mostly just fun stuff trying to get in the groove again. But tomorrow and the next day, we're going to have a replica car out here and we're going to be practicing some more of the specific things we're likely to do in the film, alright?"

We both nod and agree before he bids us goodbye and walks off to speak to the track's crew about tomorrow's arrangements.

"You ready to go?" I ask.

"I am," he smiles and swings his arm around my shoulders, casually resting it there as he begins walking towards my car. It's a friendly gesture, but the effect it has on me is ridiculous. My heart is knocking wildly against my ribs and it feels like a swarm of butterflies have taken up residence in my stomach. I smell the faint scent of his cologne and sweat, and the combination is intoxicating.

"Thank you again for breakfast." I tell him.

"My pleasure," he says, "I feel like I know a lot of people in LA, but not very many friends that I can just call on a whim and have breakfast with, ya know?"

"Yeah." I smile, feeling secretly a little pleased that I made the list of people he felt comfortable inviting like that. Even if it was just because it was convenient that we had work together today. It still reminds me that he could've had breakfast with whoever he wanted before he met up with me at the track, but he didn't. He chose me to call.

"Want to go again tomorrow? You can drive my car this time if you'd like."

 _Yes!_

"Same time?"

"Yeah."

"You'll have to let me buy breakfast this time." I say as he opens my car door for me.

"But _I_ invited _you,_ remember _?_ "

"I think we should take turns."

"We'll see." he chuckles. "You can be pretty stubborn, aren't you."

I smile when I see his smirk and shrug. Usually yes, that's true, I am quite stubborn. But once again, I find myself thinking about how he could probably ask me to do anything and I'd consider it. So maybe he's the exception.

 _This little crush better go away soon, otherwise I'm in trouble..._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Thank you SO much for all the amazing reviews so far, I love the feedback!**

 **And thank you Ractre1127 for all your help, as always!**

 **Next update will be in a week or two. (I'll try to make it as soon as possible!)**

 **For those of you following along with this story as I write it, if you'd like to check out some photos of my inspiration along the way as well, feel free to check out my Pinterest page! Username: madisonrose1129**

 **On Tumblr, my username is: madisonr1129**

 **:-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

 **This full update has been taking me longer than expected, so decided to split it into two chapters...making it so that I'd be able to post something tonight instead of making you wait longer! This one is a bit short compared to my usual, but it's setting us for chapter 6, which is a bit longer, and will be posted tomorrow night! Yay for back-to-back updates! :-)**

* * *

 **"Role of a Lifetime" (** **RATED M/MA)**

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 **Chapter 5 (** **Tris' POV)**

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"Great job, Nita." Amar tells her as she climbs off the stunt airbag from her high fall.

We'd been training hard for hours, but Zeke ended up talking Amar into letting us do high jumps for the last hour of our work day.

"Thanks! Yeah, that's such a rush jumping like that, it's fantastic." Nita replies.

"Well done." Al agrees and gives her a high five as she walks past him. She reciprocates, then offers him a flirty smile afterward, before walking away.

I feel kind of bad...I can't help but wonder if she realizes the effect she really has on Al. She's always flirting and leading him on, only to leave him hanging there. Although you'd think with the way Nita flirts with Tobias in front of everyone, that Al would just get the hint by now. But he doesn't seem to give up.

Not that it's any of my business. It's just all quite entertaining to witness as we all train together.

I'm next for the high fall, but since the boom lift brings two people up at a time, we've been heading up in pairs to save time. And Tobias is behind me, so he steps forward with me and we wait for the lift to come back down for us.

Meanwhile, I notice Nita bends down to re-tie her shoe, but instead of squatting down like most people do, she just bends over and ties it, her purple yoga-pant-covered ass in the air and on display for all to admire.

I snort a little under my breath and look over at Al, of course only to find him staring, his mouth slightly open, obviously entranced by the sight of her. _Gross.  
_ Ok, so it seems she _does_ know the effect she has on Al, and is just rubbing it in his face. And probably hoping to also catch the attention of the other male eyes in the room. Or, well, _any_ eyes for that matter. This is Nita Paolos, after all. Who I have learned over the last couple of weeks has a lot more anger and underlying issues than I had even originally thought.

I don't know why I do it to myself, but I chance a glance up at Tobias who still stands beside me. But he's not checking her out. Instead, he's looking up at the lift as it makes its descent. His eyes do flit over towards Nita, but they don't linger. Instead, he looks back to me and then to the lift, which is apparently at ground level and waiting for us. "You ready?"

"Yes, definitely."

"You love this high jumping stuff, don't you." he says with a chuckle as we climb on and nod to Michael who is operating the machinery.

"I do, it never gets old. I love it every time." I tell him honestly, loving the exhilarating feeling of free-falling, if even for a second. But it's of course only fun because you know there's a gigantic pillow of air below waiting to catch you and allowing you to play this game without falling to your death.

He smiles, but then his brows furrow a little as he looks over the edge, and I notice his hand gripping the side railing.

"You okay?" I ask, feeling suddenly worried by his look...he seems a little uneasy.

We halt at the 30 foot mark, then he looks at me. "I'm not the biggest fan of heights." he admits with a nervous chuckle, looking over the edge again. "But I've gotten pretty used to it." he shrugs.

"Want to go up higher with me?" I ask.

"Excuse me?" he looks at me with a disbelieving smile. "You want me to go higher? You heard Amar, no higher than this."

"Just go up with me for my jump, you can watch me jump from like...40 or 50 feet. Then Michael will bring you back down to 30 feet, and it won't seem so bad." I suggest.

"That sounds like some fucked up logic to someone who's afraid of heights." he teases, but his smirk and sparkle in his eye is so endearing I find myself leaning closer to him. I have to mentally remind myself to step back and give him his personal space.

"It was just a suggestion." I laugh and he smiles, but I clear my throat and look down when I remember Michael is beside us too.

"You heard the woman, take it to 50 feet." Tobias tells Michael reluctantly.

"Change of heart?" I ask, smirking at him this time.

He shrugs, "I feel like I'm training to be a fearless warrior for this movie anyway, may as well throw me out of my comfort zone once in a while."

"Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it, that's the point."

I chuckle and look back up at him, and I'm surprised to find him looking at me with such curious intensity. But it's a good intensity...the kind that gets my heart pounding and palms sweaty.

"So, 50 feet's really not a big deal?" he asks and I shrug and shake my head.

"My last gig had me jumping 80 feet in one scene."

His expression changes to one of some concern, and he gives me the cutest frown I have ever seen. I find myself both wanting to hug him, and desperately wanting to kiss the crease between his eyebrows. But I can do neither.

I try to reassure him when I see he still seems a bit unconvinced, "I have lots and lots of practice." I tell him and I glance over at Michael who is watching us amused.

Tobias then looks to Michael as well. "You're okay with this?"

Michael shrugs and nods. "We're used to it. And she knows what she's doing."

Tobias sighs and looks at me before pulling me into a hug, "You're brave, but a little crazy." he says with a chuckle, and then I do too. But I'm more distracted by the fact that his arms are actually wrapped around me right now. The feel of his embrace is even better than I expected, and the scent of him this close feels intoxicating. He holds me for a good solid few seconds before pulling away, and then he takes a deep breath and holds me out at arm's length. "You may proceed," he tells me, "but yeah, please be careful."

"I will, thank you." I let out a small laugh and walk to the edge, looking down at the large black inflated stunt airbag with the big cream colored square in the middle that we're supposed to aim for. I look over my shoulder at Tobias, and I'm surprised to see him possibly look a little paler than usual. But I give him a confident smile and speak one sentence before leaping, "See you at the bottom, Eaton."

I decide to keep it simple and maneuver my body with just a couple forward flips, before expertly landing on the airbag.

As I try and manage to climb off of it, I can't wipe the smile from my face. I still love the feeling too much.

Zeke gives me a high five, then looks up with me as we watch Tobias being lowered to 30 feet.

It appears that Michael offers to take him even lower, likely explaining he doesn't have to do it. But Tobias sticks to it, saying he wants to.

He ends up doing it very well too, taking the hump and landing just as instructed. When he climbs off, he has a grin on his face as well.

"I still don't like heights, but that was pretty fucking awesome." he says, leaning on both my and Zeke's shoulders. He's a bit sweatier than he was when I left him up there, but he pulls the sweaty look off well. I determined that weeks ago.

"I'm proud of you, dude, and good job." Zeke says, laughing, but seemingly giving his friend a genuine compliment.

"Shut up and go, it's your turn." Tobias says with a laugh of his own as he gives Zeke a light shove toward the lift.

Zeke goes up with Holli, and everyone continues to take turns. But when it comes to Nita's turn again, she begins to whine about being limited to a certain height.

"Why can't I go as high as Tris did? That's not fair." she all but huffs.

 _Cue the eye rolling._

Lately it seems like she's had this grudge against me, like she feels that I'm ruining things for her.  
I sense a little jealousy whenever I am asked to work on the stunts that I'll be doing on her behalf, and it often seems like she's trying to talk Amar into letting her do the stunts herself instead.

I've really tried my hardest to be nice and not give her any reason to resent me. I don't know what I've done to her, except maybe not wait on her beck and call and treat her like she's some higher being...so maybe she's holding that against me. Who knows?

"No, unfortunately there's a max limit is 30 feet for actors without proper training. Tris is a trained stunt performer, so she's allowed to jump higher." Amar explains simply enough for her to understand. But she still frowns and practically stomps back to her spot and climbs the lift for her turn.

The rest of the hour goes well and we all get a few more jumps in. We even talk Amar into doing one before calling it a day.

When we're all gathering our stuff to leave, I shout out a goodbye to everyone and head towards the exit, mentally deciding what I'm going to make myself for dinner tonight and if I have to go to the store or not. I really don't want to go out twice today, I'm just not feeling up to it. It's been a long tiring week. But when I hear Tobias ask me to wait up, I don't hesitate to stop and turn my body around.

He catches up to me, his gym bag slung over one shoulder, "Hey, you surf, right?" he asks.

I give him a curious smile, a little surprised by his random question. "Yeah, I do. Why?"

"Zeke, Will and I realized we all have this weekend off, so we were thinking of going surfing...and figured you might know the best spots to go."

"Ah, I see," I say, understanding now, while also loving the vision of him in a wet suit or board shorts...if only I could be there to witness that. "Yeah, you should. This weekend will be great weather for it too. If you want, I can text you some suggestions? Or if you want to hang on a minute, I could just write them down if you prefer."

"Nah, just text them," he says with a smile.

I smile back, and I'm proud of myself for fighting the blush on my cheeks this time, "Sounds good."

Then Nita and her bouncing curly black hair is rushing over and is suddenly clinging to Tobias, her arm wrapped around his.

"Are you ready yet, Tobes? I'm starving." she says to him a whiney voice, but she's trying to make it cute.

Are they...? Wait...did I miss something? They're not...together, are they?

 _Tobes?_

He doesn't seem effected by her either way, but he does extricate her hands from him.

"Yeah Nita, let me go get cleaned up first in the locker room, then we'll go." he tells her, and then looks at me with what I think is an apologetic look. But if it is, I can't tell if it's just because our talking got interrupted by her yet again, or because he feels bad for me having to witness them together...which would mean he knows I have this silly crush on him that I can't seem to shake. I really hope it's the former. The last thing I need is for him to find out and then I have to continue working with him, how awkward and embarrassing!

"See you guys later." I say politely and turn away, heading for the exit without turning back.

When I get home, I take a bubble bath and dive back in the novel I've been wanting to pick back up. I try not to think about him. About _them_. I keep reminding myself it's none of my business, and I have no right to feel, act or say anything regarding the matter of anything about Tobias' personal life. I'm just his friend, if that.  
I've never expected anything more, but it still sucks to think about him with someone else...and it doesn't help that it's _Nita_. The thought of it alone makes my stomach churn like I could be sick.

 _Why do I care so much?!_

As I'm preparing myself a Cobb salad for dinner, I get a buzz on my phone, indicating a text message.

 _[Tobias: Sorry we got interrupted earlier, I don't mean to sound like an inconsiderate ass...but I didn't want to finish that conversation in front of Nita, or she would have invited herself to come along.]_

I wait a few minutes, deciding what to say. I don't really know what to think of this situation, or his text.  
Just after adding dicing the hardboiled egg and tossing it into the bowl, do I decide to finally reply.

 _[Me: No problem, I understand. To answer your question, I'd probably go with Topanga beach or Zuma. Unless you'd rather go to one of the more popular ones, but you'll be facing a bigger crowd.]_

He replies right away.

 _[Tobias: Topanga or Zuma sound good, you pick. Or maybe we'll feel like checking out both.]_

 _[Tobias: Does tomorrow or Sunday work better for you?]_

Huh?

 _[Me: What do you mean?]_

 _[Tobias: You're coming with us, right? ]_

What?!

I see the little three dots, meaning he's typing another message, so I decide to wait before responding.

 _[Tobias: Sorry if I didn't make that clear earlier, I assumed you knew I was inviting you to join us...that's why I asked if you liked to surf. I'm not the best communicator when I'm not being fed lines! :)]_

 _[Me: That's not true, haha! But seriously...are you sure? I understand if you guys just want a day to go have fun by yourselves. And besides, those beaches are pretty easy to find if you plug them in your phone, you'll manage just fine without me.]_

 _[Tobias: I'm sure we would, but you should still come.]_

 _Make me..._ I want to reply, because apparently ever since meeting him, I've formed a much dirtier mind. But then I remember him leaving with Nita. How should I go about this without sounding like a ridiculous jealous girl? No, I shouldn't ask about it. His dating life is none of my business. He's just asking me to hang out with him and the guys like I'm any old pal, I should be thankful. Which, honestly, I still am. So I decide to agree and take him up on his offer.

[Me: Only if you're sure...I really don't want to impose...or embarrass you with my far superior surfing skills.] I decide to reply, hoping to keep the conversation playful and friendly.

[Tobias: Oh, really Prior? You think just because I'm from the East Coast I don't know how to surf? Game on.]

[Tobias: You better be ready bright and early...tomorrow?]

[Me: Tomorrow. :)]

 _What am I getting myself into?_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks again for reading and for all the fantastic reviews! You're amazing!**

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 **Tumblr: madisonr1129**


	6. Chapter 6

**"Role of a Lifetime" (** **RATED M/MA)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6 (** **Tris' POV)**

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When I get up the next morning, I don't bother snoozing the alarm on my phone. Once I hear the start of the newest song Tobias snuck onto my phone as my wake-up call, I can't help but giggle myself awake.

The 80's pop song "Take my breath away" by Berlin, continues to play throughout the room as I reminisce about the conversation we recently had about Top Gun.

As for the sneaking of songs on my phone...well, he's done this a few times now.

The first time was after we somehow got on the topic of how much he prefers to wake up to music than an annoying beeping alarm. I had laughed and told him I thought I'd sleep right through music, so that would never work for me.

But he said if it was the right song, it would probably work. So he had asked for my phone, and set it to go off at 5 minutes before usual, but with a surprise song set to go off. I ended up waking to a Stevie Wonder song, only to then not be able to go back to sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about Tobias and how cute he is.

So yeah, I guess his song technique did work.

Since then, he's done it two other times besides this morning. He always just randomly slips the phone right out of my hand and programs something in with a mischievous smile, before giving it back and telling me not to peek, I have to wait to hear it in the morning.

I wonder if he does these silly things with Nita or any other friends of his...

After I finally turn the alarm off, I throw my blankets back and climb out of bed and head straight for the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, I'm showered and ready for the beach.

Just as I go to grab my beach bag, I hear a knock at the door. I glance at the clock, noticing he's a little early.

As suspected, I open the door to find a fine looking Tobias Eaton standing on my front porch. He's wearing a pair of navy colored board shorts and a plain gray t-shirt, of which both fit him perfectly.

"Mornin'," he says with a smile, causing one of my own to form of its own accord.

"Hey, goodmorning." I reply, opening the door a little wider.

"You ready to do some surfing?" he asks, seemingly excited for our day. I notice his eyes look me up and down, but he's good about being subtle about it.

I wonder what he thinks when he looks at me like that, he's kind of hard to read at times like that.

"Yes, it's been way too long."

"How long?"

"At least a month." I say and he laughs.

"Well, Zeke's in the truck, but I was hoping to use your kitchen to refill my water? I had filled it up, but already drank through it all on the drive over."

"Yeah, of course. Right through there." I tell him, directing him past the living room and to the kitchen, "I have the stupid French door style fridge though, so no water dispenser. But you're welcome to use the Brita filter inside.

He chuckles as he pulls open the refrigerator door. He grabs the pitcher and sets it on the counter as he closes the fridge, then removes the lid of his water bottle. "I always thought these style refrigerators were cool."

"They are, but I miss the water dispenser." I say again, and he smiles at me. I see his eyes take in the rest of my kitchen and surrounding living space before he goes to pour his drink.

"You have a really nice home." he says, filling it to the top before going to refill the pitcher and replace it in the fridge. I smile as I watch him move around with ease like he's been here before.

This feels weird having him in my house like this, yet, I guess it really doesn't...it feels comfortable and nice, just...odd. I guess I'm still a bit surprised by what scenarios I seem to get myself into. _Tobias Eaton is in my house!_

"Thanks, I really like it out here. A bit secluded and away from the craziness, but still a quick drive everywhere I need to go."

He nods, as if he could understand that, but then he adds, "True. But also the inside, it's so light and airy...welcoming. It's awesome, you have nice style." he says, and I'm fairly surprised by the compliment. I don't think a guy has ever complimented my home decor or style in anyway.

I glance around at my house, then back to him, "Thank you. I can be hired for interior design assistance anytime." I say with a teasing smile. He nods and raises his eyebrows insinuating that's not actually a half-bad idea, which makes me chuckle a little considering I was joking. But then I randomly decide this is a good opportunity to bring this up. I just hope it doesn't make things weird between us.

"Hey, can I ask you kind of a weird question real quick?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I um, what if Nita finds out I'm going along with you guys? Isn't she going to be pretty annoyed? It's really none of my business if you guys are...I mean, not that you in anyway insinuated this is a date or that she'd have anything to worry about or anything.." I assure him, gesturing between us, "I just, well...I can't help but notice she doesn't like me very much, and I think if she knew I was hanging out with you and the guys and she wasn't invited...well, I just really don't want to cause any drama."

He looks surprised by my rant, but seemed to listen patiently until he has a chance to respond after all my babbling. I'm already making this so awkward...but he doesn't look too annoyed or anything, just amused. The right side of his mouth lifts before his left, then he's smiling broadly at me.

"Tris, we've gone over this time and time again...you're my friend, and I'll hang out with you whenever the hell I want. As for Nita, yeah...she'd probably be pretty annoyed and feel left out and we'd all have to listen to her whine. But who cares? We're not obligated to hang out with her, and as you know, she can be a bit of a drag. We deserve a break from her."

I let out a small laugh, but the knot in my stomach is still there. I don't know if I like the idea of him being so okay with keeping secrets from her, even if she is a snobby bitch sometimes. But wait...he never confirmed that they're dating. He just agreed that she may be annoyed.

"Well, I won't disagree with that...but I still feel kind of bad. Do you uh, mind if I ask...are you guys, together? Like, officially? Or is that on the DL and I'm not supposed to ask?"

"Me and Nita?" he asks, his eyes wide, looking at me lIke he's not sure if I'm serious.

"Yeah, she's mentioned some things a few times...and then you guys went on your date last night." I remind him.

He chuckles then, leaning on the kitchen counter in front of him as he looks down at the white counter top, before looking back up at me again and fixing those deep blue eyes right on me, "Wasn't a date. She and I have never been anything but co-stars. I don't know what she's been insinuating, but Tori asked us to meet up and run lines together, so we did. I just agreed to grab some takeout with her first since we were starving after training."

I nod, feeling my cheeks warm a little. I'm really hoping I didn't come off as a silly jealous girl fishing for details. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I just...didn't want to give her more reason to hate me."

"She doesn't hate you," he says, looking at me sympathetically, "but I do see a competitive streak, and it seems to especially shine since you're fucking awesome at everything." he says with chuckle and I bump his hip with mine.

"I am not." I admonish with a small laugh.

"You can't help it. And that's a good thing, they hired you because you're amazing, so what does she expect? And I know I'm probably sounding like a hypocrite, but what's with all the whining about her doing all her own stunts now? She just never lets up.

"I know, that's what I'm saying...I don't know why she dislikes me so much and feels the need to prove herself better, but oh well. Maybe she'll warm up better the more we work together. I'm hoping as we travel and film, it will be a better bonding experience."

He smiles at me appreciatively, "I think it will be for all of us."

Fuck, the flirty way he says that makes it sound kind of suggestive, and I need to clear my foggy mind of the thoughts threatening to overtake again.

"Well, to team building and movie making." I say, lifting my own water bottle to clink with his, in a silly toast, causing him to smirk.

"And to us, and this unexpected friendship." he adds, clinking my bottle with his again. "Shall we? I almost forgot Zeke's still in the car."

"Oh, shit, yeah. Let's go." I say, grabbing my keys and phone from the counter, tossing them in my bag with my wallet.

I then lead him through to my garage to get my surf board, and we load it up in the bed of the truck that apparently Amar let him borrow, along with his two boards for him and Zeke to use.

"Wow, Amar hooked us up well." I say and we get in the car where I say hello to Zeke.

"Yeah, I feel kind of bad using all his stuff, but he insisted. But I'll make sure he takes me up on my offer for him to use my vacation home. That way he can use my surfboards too." Tobias says.

I wonder where his vacation home is...

As if reading my thoughts, Zeke speaks up, "He has a little shack in Australia."

"It's not exactly a shack." Tobias defends with a laugh, "It's just on the small side, and very secluded. I happen to love it."

"Australia, huh? No wonder you're so confident in your surfing skills."

He grins at me and slings his right arm around the back of the bench seats as he drives. I'm in the middle seat between Zeke and Tobias, so I have very little space, and I find my thigh pressing up against Tobias'. I hope he doesn't feel like I'm invading his personal space.

I peek up at Zeke to find him enveloped in his phone, smiling at the screen. "Shauna says hi everyone." he says, then his thumbs go typing away at his response.

We talk and listen to music on the way to the beach, and they explain how Will will be meeting us there. He lives in Malibu, so it made sense for him to drive himself.

"Aw, I feel kind of bad, Al just messaged me asking what we're up to today." Zeke says, then looks to us.

"I guess you could tell him what we're up to, wouldn't hurt if he came too. I don't know if he surfs though." Tobias says indifferently. I think he likes Al in general, but was hoping to keep it a smaller group today. At least that's the vibe I got.

"Alright, cool." Zeke says as he messages Al back.

When we get to the beach, I'm glad to see it's easy to find a parking spot. That means it shouldn't be too busy out on the sand and should give us some privacy.

We grab our stuff and go set up a spot with our towels all laid out and things weighed down.

Will joins us within a matter of minutes, with an ice chest in hand. But we don't wait long before we decide we want to go out and catch some waves. So I drop my shorts, but leave on my surf shirt over my bikini.

I adjust the edges of the bottoms so that I'm not sporting a wedgie or showing too much butt cheek, while trying not to act nervous exposing this much skin around all these guys.

I grab my sunscreen and begin lathering it on, trying not to pay attention as they all seem to simultaneously remove their shirts.

"I love this warm sunshine, something we don't get enough of in New York." Tobias says.

"And check out these waves, they're perfect." Zeke agrees, looking out at the Pacific.

Just as I manage to steal a glance at Tobias in the shirtless form and admire all the dips and curves of his muscles...and that broad chest...I unfortunately hear an all too familiar nasally voice.

"Hey guys..." Nita says and I turn to see her approaching us with Al in her wake. She's smiling smugly in her pink sun dress, which she then starts to remove...revealing a yellow string bikini that isn't much more than a couple scraps of triangles. She keeps on her extraordinary large hat and sunglasses though.

"Hey," we all seem to say in unison, but I sense the false enthusiasm over their arrival.

"I ran into Nita at Starbucks and mentioned where we were going, hope you don't mind I brought her along." Al says as he drops their stuff onto the ground.

"Just happened to have your swimsuit with you?" Zeke laughs.

I dig my toes into the sand and look out towards the water, feeling awkward.

"I just went and grabbed a new one on the way, no biggy." Nita replies with a smile and begins to lay down her towel beside the rest of ours.

"Well, we're going surfing now, so suit yourself." Tobias says, then looks to me, "Ready?"

I nod and grab my board, so he does the same. Followed closely by Zeke and Will, who follow us down the stretch of powdery sand towards the water.

Once the water laps at my feet, I feel the tenseness release from my muscles and I begin to relax again. Who cares if Nita is here? I'm going to have a good time.

It's not until we're out a ways into the water, sitting up on our boards waiting for the right wave, do I hear Tobias speak again, "Well, so much for keeping this just the few of us." he chuckles, but seems a little annoyed too, "At least we can get a break from her out here."

I laugh and agree with him, but get distracted taking in the sight of his now very wet chest. I try to cover up my ogling by observing the waves building up behind us, but there's still nothing worth trying to ride yet. Sometimes it takes a while for the right wave to come along though, it takes patience.

Then my own chest occurs to me...the much less pronounced chest than that of Nita, and how the wet surf shirt is clinging to me like a second skin. I hope he or the guys don't notice my hard nipples threatening to make themselves known.

I don't have much time to worry about it, because then I see a good wave coming, so I lay forward on my board and begin to quickly paddle with my arms.

I thankfully end up catching the wave, and ride it out as long as I can, before finally going under.

When I surface and begin to paddle back out, I see Tobias going for the next one. He manages to catch it as well and rides it like he's done it a hundred times, only to come paddle back out beside me with a giant grin on his face.

"You look good out there." he comments.

"You do too. Turns out you're not just all talk," I say with grin, "well, from what I can tell so far. That may have just been good luck."

"Oh, I'm not denying I've been getting plenty of good luck lately...but I assure you I can handle myself on a surf board." he says.

"Bring it on then." I'm still grinning when I paddle out to catch another good wave.

For the next who knows how long, we continue to do this, while also watching and cheering on Will and Zeke who are a little ways down to our left. You can tell they're more at the beginner status, but they do well too, and by the sight of their smiles and laughter, I'm glad they're having a good time.

I hadn't even thought of looking back up towards the beach in a while. When I do, I see Nita standing with her feet in the water, her arms crossed, and her hip jutted out...her body language not exactly shouting that she's in a very good mood. I get the feeling she's watching us, but with her big hat and sunglasses, it's hard to tell.

But by the time we decide to take a break, she's lounging on her towel, stomach down, bikini top untied as she tries to get a tan, but also giving us an even more obscene view of her side-boob.

I take my soiled surf shirt off, revealing my own bikini top. But it's not nearly as revealing as hers, so it kind of makes me feel less self-conscious. Still, after I use my towel to dry off, I keep it wrapped around myself.

I grab my large beach bag and dig around for my sunglasses, but have no luck. So I pull out my blanket which takes up most of the space, and search again, quickly finding them this time.

"What else you got in there? Anything fun?" Zeke asks when he sees what I'm doing.

"I brought a deck of cards and a book." I say with a shrug.

"I'll play cards." Tobias says from where he stands near the ice chest, reaching in to grab a can of soda.

I decide to lay out my blanket, and apparently Tobias takes that as an invitation as he takes a spot on it next to me.

"Mind I'd I sit here? I'm pretty much already dried off." He says, patting his board shorts.

"You gotta sit there if you're playing cards with us." Zeke says with a smile, plopping down beside us too, but getting a little sand on us. "Will?" Zeke asks, and when Will turns to look. Zeke waves him over to join us as well, and we end up playing several various card games, teaching each other things we know. But a few games in, Nita and Al decide to break their conversation and to join the fun too.

I don't miss it how she squeezes in next to Tobias, leaning close to where he's leaning back putting his weight on his left hand. Whether it's intentional or not, I notice it's not long before he notices and leans forward instead, so there more space between them.

Al is fine, but yet again, Nita is brutally competitive and seems to direct all of her dirty looks at me throughout our round of poker.

It seems at one point, Tobias notices this too, and gives her a dirty look of his own, before deciding to switch up the activity. "Who's up for some catch? Will, you said you brought a football?"

"That I did." Will replies with a smile, grabbing it and tossing it to Tobias who catches it easily.

"Tris, you game?" Tobias asks me, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, sure." I say, standing up, forgetting that my towel would drop. But I decide just to leave it, I'm at the beach after all. I'm allowed to be in a bikini. Who cares if I'm in the company of these hot shots with their perfect bodies?

We end up tossing the ball around for a bit, and I'm glad Caleb taught be how to throw well, as I wasn't originally very good at these types of sports. We laugh and talk as we toss the ball, and I realize how awesome and normal all of this feels. They really wanted to blend in like normal people enjoying their weekend, and that's exactly what they're doing. Successfully too. It doesn't seem they've been noticed by anyone yet, although it's still early and fairly slow here at this particular beach. Still, I hope it stays that way. They deserve some uninterrupted fun.

"Can I play too?" Nita asks eventually.

"Yeah, of course." Will agrees, tossing her the ball.

Everything continues to go okay, despite her ability to throw a ball very well...especially in a bikini. I'm surprised we haven't seen a nipple slip yet, but the day is still young.

We talk about random stuff, and I'm selfishly glad Tobias is standing nearest me so that I can keep up conversation with him throughout. Plus, I just like being close to him.

Although the more time I spend with Nita outside of work, the less I like her. If it's not my 'poor dull sun damaged hair', then it's my 'ugly bruise' on my knee from training a few days ago, or my 'gross hippie smelling lotion' that I put on earlier. On top of that, she's constantly either complaining, or making judgmental remarks about the beach goers around us, making fun of what they're wearing or doing.

I guess it's worth it to be around her if it means hanging out with the others, but I definitely don't blame Tobias for attempting to make this outing sans Nita. I don't know how much I can handle of her outside of work. Dealing with her there is hard enough!

At one point, after I toss Tobias the ball, he tosses it over to Will without looking, so that his eyes remain on me. We stare each other down for a moment before his lips slowly lift into a smile, as do mine pretty much automatically. I'd like to think maybe say we share a small moment there, but then I feel another set of eyes on me.

When I look away from Tobias, I see Nita staring me down, and she's got the ball in hand, which she then tosses to me a little firmer than usual. "Tris, you look like you'd be good at football," looking at me up and down with obvious judgement in her eyes, before settling them back on my face with a smug little look directed at me, "Did you ever play in school?"

Now I know she's trying to get under my skin, yet again making an indirect comment about my more athletic body, versus her slightly taller and curvier one. This wouldn't be the first time she's made an off-handed remark like this. Although, we've actually got a fairly similar build. They did hire me to be her stunt double after all. So I don't know why she thinks it's that much of a jab at me. Plus, I really just don't care about her opinions, so what's the point?

"No, never played football," I tell her as I throw the ball to Zeke who backs up, knowing I can throw further, "I mean, I did in PE, but not on a team like you're insinuating...why, did you?" I ask, kind of enjoying the look that briefly passes her face in reaction to my reply.

"Me? Yeah, right." She says sarcastically.

"Tris _was_ technically on field though, right? Cheerleader?" Zeke chimes in as he tosses the ball to Al.

"Yeah, Nita, did you know Tris was almost an NFL cheerleader? They offered it to her and she turned it down!" Al says, as if he still can't believe it.

Although I know he means well, why does he insist on bringing this back up again?

"She what?" Nita replies snidely, "You can't be serious."

And although Al continues to mention a few more details, oblivious to the true meaning of her words, I know her comment is because she can't believe the NFL would actually consider me.

"Hey, I'm going to go for a swim, okay?" I say out loud in general, then turn and head back towards the water. I'm so done listening to her.

But when I'm half way there, I feel an arm go around my shoulders and already by the feel and scent alone, I know it's Tobias.

"I can't believe her." he scoffs, "Is she always this bad around you?"

"I told you, she can be...well, let's just say she tests my patience a lot. But yeah, today has been the worst yet." I chuckle and look up at him, but he's scowling as he looks down at the water in front of us. Why is he looking like that? Is he really this surprised by her actions today?

"Don't worry, I'm not really bothered by it or anything. I just couldn't take any more of her right now. I had to remove myself from the situation."

"I don't blame you. She's...kind of a bitch, Tris. And you know it," he finally chuckles, but doesn't seem to think it's actually all that funny. "Her attitude really sucks, you shouldn't have to put up with that. I could say something to Amar?"

"No, no please don't worry about it. I've dealt with her type my whole life. I can handle her. I don't want to cause any drama, especially when it's not necessary."

He looks at me, still concerned. We're about waist deep in the water now (well a little higher than waist deep for me), but he still has his arm around me.

"Promise you'll tell me if she doesn't let up, or if she gets worse."

I nod, "I will."

"In fact, I'll talk with her myself anyway, she has no right-." he begins to say resolutely.

"Stop," I laugh, tugging him into the water with me gently, "You're blowing this out of proportion." He bends his knees and sinks down enough so that his shoulders are submerged and he takes my hands as pulls me in front of him.

"You're my friend, and I care about how people treat you. I'm allowed to be the tough guy if anyone messes with my Tris." he says, giving me a stern look, but he's got that underlining smile that draws the grin out of me.

"You are not what I expected Tobias Eaton..."

* * *

A little while later, Tobias, Zeke and I are just taking a walk down the sand toward the parking lot, but it's at a leisurely pace, since it seems none of us are in a hurry to get home now.

"Hey Tris, you ever climbed a palm?" Zeke asks and I chuckle at his question. Earlier today he and I talked for a good ten minutes about climbing trees. I don't know how we got on the subject, but that's what I like about this group of guys, who cares how we ended up to that conversation? It's always just so random and real, and...comfortable.

"Yeah, just not huge ones." I reply honestly.

"Can you do that one? It's like what, 14-15 feet?"

"She doesn't have to prove it to you, leave her alone." Tobias says with a small laugh, giving his friend a playful shove.

But Zeke just grins, "Oh c'mon, you know you want to see it too."

Tobias laughs then, and his smile when he looks at me is so contagious that I'm smiling widely as well. "Please ignore him..."

But I just walk around them and to the tree, kicking off my flip slips before I hop up and begin the climb said tree. I'm glad I put my shorts and top back on, as I wouldn't be doing this otherwise.

When I get to the top a few seconds later, I look down at the two smiling guys, to find them watching with rapt attention and they give me a little cheer without drawing too much attention.

But from there I also notice the rest of our group, who I thought we left on the beach since we said we had to head out...has now come to a halt behind Tobias and Zeke. They've got their stuff in hand, so it appears they're getting ready to leave too. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I'm partially surprised to see Nita looking furious, like little bits of steam could come from her ears and nose at any moment.

I quickly and safely shimmy back down, and Nita stomps right up to me.

"I thought you had to leave and have Tobias take you away because you got a headache? Now you're showing off some more with your monkey tricks? And seriously, you couldn't have just driven yourself so they could stay longer?" She practically spits at me.

WTF?! When did she go from just annoying to maybe possibly crazy?

I simultaneously hear Zeke gasp and feel Tobias tense and he steps forward, about to say something to her, but I put my hand up to stop him. I appreciate the gesture, but I can fight my own battles.

"You know what Nita? I do have a headache, but I have a strong feeling it's _solely_ from being around _you_ ," I say, staring her down, "And sorry if I like to goof around and have _fun_ with my _friends_ , rather than picking on them and making fun of others I attempt to try and make myself feel better. Think what you will about me Nita, I really don't give a shit. So please keep it to yourself before I file a formal harassment complaint."

"I don't give a shit about you either." she responds lamely, then looks at the palm tree with narrowed eyes and a look of determination. "It's not even that high of a fucking tree." she says, and stomps over to it. "Anyone could do it." Then to my surprise, she actually tries climbing it!

"Nita-" I begin, wanting to warn her, but hoping she just gives up a short ways up. But she keeps going.

She struggles, but manages to get a ways further.

"Nita!" Zeke whisper yells, half concerned, half laughing.

"You don't need to prove anything Nita, this isn't going to help, and you're just putting yourself in danger." I say, not wishing harm on anyone, even if I do very much dislike them.

"Shut up, bitch. You just think you're a professional at everything, but you're really just an ugly little boyfriend-stealing- _aaahhhh_!"

And then she's down.

On the ground.

As I falter through my moment of haze, not knowing if this is really happening, I suddenly come to my senses.

Nita just fell from the top of the tree.

She's wailing and grabbing her leg, and Zeke, Al and Tobias are instantly on the ground at her side. I quickly grab my phone from my bag, ready to call 911. Unless she's one of the best actresses I've ever seen, I think she may have actually broken her leg.

But as I have the phone dialing, I rush over to her, "An ambulance is one the way, Nita."

Tobias looks to me with a small appreciative smile. But that's all I notice before I hear a large gasp from someone walking nearby.

I turn and see people stopping to see what's going on, a few of them starting to take out their phones to take pictures.

I guess her crying and this little huddle, has caused some attention. Why has nobody gone to get a lifeguard yet? Obviously someone is hurt. I'm about to suggest it, when I start to hear the whispers of the crowd gathering around us, and then I remember... I'm standing with four very recognizable movie stars.

Oh fuck. This can't be good.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thank you everyone for all your reviews and support, you're very appreciated!**

 **And special thanks Ractre1127 for being wonderful as always!**

 **I'm very excited for the next chapter, will have it posted in a week or two!**

 **Want to check out some of my picture inspiration for this story? Come check out my Pinterest! (madisonrose1129)**

 **Tumblr: madisonr1129**

 **:-)**


	7. Chapter 7

**"Role of a Lifetime" (** **RATED M/MA)**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 (** **Tris' POV)**

* * *

"Thanks for letting us hang out here." Tobias says as we approach my house.

"Of course, anytime." I reply, leading the way down the path to the front door.

Once we deemed Nita was safe at the hospital with her friends and family that had met her there, as well as Al, who volunteered to ride in the ambulance with her, we decided to hit the road before the paparazzi learned what happened and figured out what hospital she went to. No need to make a bigger spectacle of things than they already were.

But the delay at the hospital meant by the time they were dropping me back off at my house, they'd be heading back into the city during rush hour traffic, and their phones were already going off with many people calling with questions. So I offered for them to just come lay low at my house for a bit if they wanted. They happily agreed, saying that was a much better idea. Zeke even suggested we make dinner, as he said he's starving.

After all, that's why Zeke had blurted out that I had a headache to begin with, so that we could use it as an out to get going and grab some dinner on the way home. Although I really did have a headache, and he knew this since he saw me take some ibuprofen, it wasn't bad enough to make me want to necessarily leave and call it a day. But at the idea of having dinner just the three of us, no more annoying Nita, I couldn't pass the opportunity up. So I had gone along with it.

But after everything that happened, we never went and ate, we just came straight back here to my place. Now here we are, me unlocking my front door to let them inside, Amar's truck and the surf boards safely tucked away in my garage, hidden just in case.

"Yeah, and it's perfect, your house is nice and secluded, and nobody knows where you live." Zeke says with a grateful smile.

"One of the reasons I love it," I say with a small smile, flipping the lights on as we enter, even though it's still a bit light out. It definitely gives my home more ambiance, and it'll be getting dark soon.

Zeke's phone immediately rings again, and he quickly answers. "Hi baby, yeah, I'm okay. We're at Tris' house." he says, and I assume it's his wife Shauna. He goes and makes himself comfortable on the deep cream colored couch in my family room.

Tobias and I continue on through to my kitchen and he takes a seat on one of the bar stools at the counter. "I guess I should call Amar back, he called while I was driving." he says, pulling out his own phone.

I nod and turn to get us some water. I fill us each a glass, and prepare one for Zeke as well.

I figure I should give him a little privacy for his call, and I really want to get out of this swimsuit, so I gesture towards my hallway. "I'm going to go change, help yourself to whatever." I say.

He looks up at me as he puts the phone to his ear and smiles, "Okay, thanks."

With that, I head off towards my bedroom and close the door behind me. I go straight for the bathroom and tie my hair up in a bun on the top of my head, before turning on my shower to heat up. I need just a quick rinse-off to get the sand off me and get cleaned up. I feel a little sweaty and sticky, and a little hot water and steam will really help relax my muscles, if even for a few of minutes.

Once I'm undressed, I hop in for one of the quickest showers ever.

True to my word, I'm out in about 3 minutes, and then I'm out and drying off with my fluffy white towel.

I wrap it around myself before going for my dresser, and pulling out some underwear, yoga pants, a bra and a lightweight mint colored sweatshirt.

I pull my hair back down and brush it out, letting it stay down in its loose beachy waves that seemed to have formed earlier.

When I reemerge from my bedroom, Tobias is still at my kitchen island, his back to me, and I can't help but admire how his t-shirt stretches across the expanse of his broad shoulders.

As I round the island to peek into my cupboard to see what I can make for dinner, I notice he's leaning his elbows on the counter, mindlessly rolling an orange around on the counter that he must have snagged form my bowl of fruit beside him, as he continues regaling the details of the incident to whoever he has on the phone.

His tousled hair is a bit messier than usual from him running his hand through it like he often seems to do if he gets stressed or nervous. He's still in his board shorts, but he kicked off his flip-flops by the front door, so he's barefoot. He seems casual, relaxed, and a site I could get used to seeing in my house. I bite my lip and turn back towards my cupboard.

I grab out a box of penne pasta and look over to see if by chance I can easily get his attention without interrupting. But he's already looking at me, and there's a slight possibility I might have caught him checking out my ass, but maybe I just imagined it.

I hold up the package of pasta as if in question, to see if that's something he likes and feels up to eating. I know I can whip up an easy and tasty homemade sauce, and maybe even some meatballs...I think I have some ground beef in the fridge.

He grins and nods, seemingly excited at the prospect of it. I smile back and set the box of pasta on the counter, before grabbing out the rest of the ingredients- a can of crushed tomatoes, olive oil, mushrooms, heavy cream, garlic, basil and so on.

Before I get started though, I turn on my music, like I usually do when I cook. But I keep it very low so as not to disturb their phone calls.

I've got the creamy sauce coming together in a saucepan on the stove top and the meatballs are almost done in the oven, as I drop the pasta into the boiling water. I spin around and open the fridge to grab the container of mixed greens so that I can prepare a quick side salad.

Once that's ready in a big wooden bowl, I twirl again, reaching left towards the wine rack for a bottle of wine, and the up to my right to grab some glasses. I grab three expertly with one hand, and spin to place them on the island. But I'm slightly startled, finding Tobias watching me intently, his phone no longer to his ear. Instead, it's off and set to the side, and he's got his arms crossed as he continues leaning on the counter, observing me with a look so intense that I almost drop everything in my hands. On top of the way his eyes pierce me with that sexy stare, the smirk that forms on his lips seems like it might end up being the death of me.

But thankfully I'm not cleaning up glass and red wine from the floor, as I manage to carefully set them down on the counter, taking a deep breath as I try to pretend like he doesn't have this powerful effect on me.

"You look very comfortable in the kitchen." he says simply as I reach into the drawer for a corkscrew.

"I do?"

"Yeah, you made that look like a dance. It was beautiful, I like watching you."

Here I was, all comfortable and confident and feeling great under my own roof, despite the heart-throbbing company, and he still manages to make me blush within moments.

"I just know my kitchen well, everything has its place." I shrug, brushing off the compliment. Although I offer him a small smile, before turning and bending down to grab the colander from the lower cabinet.

"You seem very organized." He teases.

I grab the wooden spoon to pull out a noodle to check its tenderness, and I'm glad I checked, as it seems spot on right now. Perfectly aldente. So I quickly remove the pot of pasta and drain the water.

"My friends think I have OCD, and well, maybe I do a little. But I think it's just how I was raised, ya know? My household was very clean and organized, and we were always taught to help with multiple chores, and always had to keep our rooms clean and perfect. So yeah," I chuckle, "I guess it didn't go away."

I smile to myself as I think about Susan comparing me to the likes of Monica Gellar with my cleanliness. But I'm not that bad, right? I don't like, force coasters upon people or anything.

"I can relate." is all he offers, before watching me add the pasta straight to the pot of sauce. I then grab out the pan of meatballs, and use tongs to add them to the pot as well and mixing it together gently.

"Want me to help set the table or anything?" he asks, getting up and coming around to my side of the counter. He comes up beside me and leans his hip on the counter, facing me.

"Sure. Silverware is in here," I pull the drawer next to him open, "bowls are up there." I explain, but then I grab a fork and spear a noodle, "Want to taste and see if you think it needs anything?"

He grins, and rather than just reaching for the fork in my hand, he opens his mouth awaiting the bite. Seeing him up this close to me, and now opening his mouth as he leans in closer for me to feed him, it makes me desperately want to lean in and kiss him.

But instead, I hold my breath and feed him the bite, holding my left hand underneath so as to catch any possible drips of sauce. His eyes remain on me the whole time, but once he takes the bite, his eyes close momentarily, before opening and locking on me again.

"Fuck, Tris." he practically growls in appreciation of the food, but those words and the way he spoke them, has practically soaked my freshly put-on panties. _Seriously dude?  
_ "This is incredible. Where did you learn to cook?" Tobias asks.

"My mom...she was a chef. Had her own catering company."

"She must have been a pretty fantastic chef then." he says and I smile at him, thankful for the sweet comment. I consider sharing more, but I decide now isn't the time. And besides, our food would get cold.

"You want wine? Or I think I have some beer or maybe some hard cider in the fridge."

"Normally I'd take a beer, but wine with this pasta sounds perfect. But I think I need another bite first."

"Yeah?" I chuckle, spearing him another bite, this time with half a meatball. "It doesn't even have the fresh grated parm on top yet though."

Still, I hold the bite up for him again. He leans down and takes the bite, then makes another noise of approval as he leans in and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a bear hug with my arms trapped. But I don't mind, it feels amazing. I find my eyes drifting closed and he gives me a squeeze before letting go.

"You have no idea how long it's been since I've had a good homemade meal. And this is ridiculously good."

We hear a throat clearing, and my eyes shoot open. We pull apart and see a grinning Zeke standing there, his arms crossed. The smug look on his face makes me curious, but all he says is, "Let's stop _talking_ about how good this food is, and let me try some already!"

"Wait 'til you try it, man," Tobias says, reaching up to grab a small stack of bowls from the cupboard I told him about as I put the pasta into a large serving bowl. He hands them to Zeke, who takes them to the dining room table, as Tobias collects silverware to carry over. I go and set the food down on the table, then go back to retrieve napkins.

Tobias follows in behind me, so I just hand him the napkins to take in, and I grab the wine and glasses.

"How are you so comfortable flipping those glasses around like that?" Tobias chuckles, following me over to the table where Zeke is already sitting and serving the pasta into all three bowls for us.

"I was a bartender for a short while when I was in college. Did it on the side between acting and small stunt jobs since I was still a broke student and was really new to the entertainment business at the time."

"Wow, Tris," Zeke says after his first bite, chewing and swallowing before finishing his sentence. "This is really good." He immediately goes for another bite, shoveling it into his mouth, then regretting it since it's so hot, but he still seems so satisfied with it as he moans in approval.

"No wonder Tobias wanted to hug you, you've really got a talent here." he says, sipping his wine before mumbling, "At least one of the reasons he wanted to," and giving Tobias a teasing look before focusing on his food again.

What's that supposed to mean?

"I was just telling Tobias, I learned a bit from my mom. But really, this was a lot easier to make than you think." I look to Tobias, "You saw how I just threw everything in. That wasn't too hard, right?"

He smiles sweetly. "It was a lot more to it than that, and you know it. But you did make it _look_ easy." he then looks from me to Zeke, "She's like a graceful kitchen ballerina, so efficient and fluid, and obviously talented."

Zeke raises an eyebrow and I laugh before having another bite of my salad. Tobias gives me that flirty grin. "Sorry if that's creepy, you can always tell me to shoo." Zeke tries to hold back a smile, but seems to be a little surprised by Tobias' comment. Then I sense that he seems to watch the two of us a little more closely.

He's not suspecting anything of us since he walked in on Tobias hugging me, right? Surely that wouldn't cross his mind. Either of their minds.

Dinner ends up being somewhat silent, as we devour our food amongst comfortable silence...well, besides the soft playing of Beach House in the background since my phone is still playing on shuffle.

Even though I don't know if we really want to talk about what happened earlier, I feel like we should. At least a little.

"I'm still kind of in shock about Nita's fall. I feel really bad, she seemed to be in a lot of pain," I say, "And-" I begin, but then there's a loud repetitive knock at the door.

I look at the guys and then towards the door. Who is it, I wonder? "I'll peek through the peep hole," I whisper.

With my bare feet, I walk silently towards the front door, and I feel Tobias following me. When I peek through the peep hole, I see it's just Susan.

"Tris, it's me, let me in! Are you home?" she knocks again impatiently.

Tobias must see the relieved look on my face when I realize it's just her, because I see him smile. But I don't answer the door quite yet. I promised the guys a safe place to lay low, and I want to respect that, so I want to see how they feel about me letting her in.

"Sorry," I whisper, leaning close to his ear, "Susan, my best friend. She's harmless, I promise. Do you mind?"

"No, of course not, let her in already." he smiles wider, giving me a reassuring rub on the shoulder, and I bite my lip. As I turn towards the door, my eyes catch Zeke's, and I can tell he caught that gesture too and now he's smirking to himself as he begins cleaning our plates from the table.

I feel my cheeks tinting pink as I reach for the lock, so I end up biting my lip a bit firmer to distract myself. I get the lock undone and reach for the door knob, pulling it open just enough for her to slip in.

"Sorry Susan, come in."

"Oh my gosh, are those pictures for real? They're all over Tumblr." she begins, reaching down to pull off her overly strappy sandals, until she finally turns around to face me. Only to then realize I have Tobias Eaton standing beside me.

A surprised smile takes over her face, "Wow, okay. I wasn't expecting this. Tris, I got your voicemail, but I was halfway through listening to it when my phone died. But I had already seen the pictures, so I just came over to hear the story from you. And to make sure you're okay."

"Yeah, of course," I say with a chuckle, "We weren't in danger or anything. I was just being stupid and climbed a palm tree. And well, Nita tried doing it too, but fell from the top. We still haven't heard if she broke her leg or not."

"That's terrible." Susan says, her voice soft and concerned.

Tobias lets out a little bit of a snort and Susan and my eyes dart to him. He looks like he didn't realize he did that out loud and looks a little sheepish.

"Sorry, that was insensitive. It's just, well, karma can be a bitch." Tobias explains with a shrug Ike it was inevitable. But then his focus suddenly drawn to the small photo on the end table. It's of me, Caleb, Susan, and our friend Monica a few years ago, the day we moved me into this house.

"What do you mean?" Susan asks, looking at him, then me, "What did she do?"

"She's just turned out not to be a very nice person. And she's especially awful towards Tris. The way she treated her and spoke to her today was unacceptable. I wouldn't have wished for her to break her leg if given the choice or whatever, but I can't say a small part of me doesn't feel like maybe she deserved it."

He looks at me and puts his arm around my shoulders and continues, "Tris, I think your friend Susan would agree with me, that you're a very kind and patient person, it's not your style to be an instigator or one to get riled up easily. You're genuinely a good person, and you deserve to be treated with respect."

His honest sounding words make me smile and feel even more admiration and respect for him. My heart his pounding...he really knows how to make a girl feel good about herself.

I don't dare look at Susan, not able to take whatever face she'd surely be giving me right now. I can only imagine the grilling I'm going to get later.

"By the way, nice to meet you." Tobias says, pulling his arm from around me and stretching it out shake Susan's hand. She returns it and I can tell she's getting a little flushed herself. She bounces on her heel little and grins at him.

"Nice to meet you too. We're big fans of yours." Susan says, "Tris here got me hooked to the Underworld movies, didn't you?"

He looks pleased by this, grinning at me proudly.

I let out a small laugh and roll my eyes before finally exiting the foyer of my house, "C'mon, let's not ditch Zeke to hang in the entry all night."

"It smells great in here, did you guys just eat?" Susan asks.

"Yeah, Tris made this killer pasta," Tobias raves, "I don't know if there's any left, but if there is, you should try it."

"I know, she's an amazing cook, right? I always tell her she's got an awesome back-up career." Susan tells him, as if I'm not even here.

"And this is Zeke Pedrad." Tobias introduces his friend as we enter the kitchen where Zeke is currently loading the dishwasher.

"Hey, don't worry about cleaning up." I tell him, but he waves me off, insisting. Tobias helps him finish up, telling me to go sit.

So Susan joins me on the couch and she sits sideways, her knee up on the couch as she faces me, an excited and expectant look on her face. "Spill."

"They wanted to lay low a bit and wait out the traffic, and well, here we are." I tell her simply, but she just smilers wider and gives me a playful shove.

"First of all, they're great. Who knew they'd be so sweet? And second of all, I think maybe Tobias has a thing for you."

"What?!" I laugh, throwing my head back into the cushion. "You're hallucinating."

"Tris, don't worry about it, it's still early, you've barely known him a month. But I just don't want you to be totally oblivious...just trust me, I can even see it in the way he looks at you."

She's nuts.

When the guys return, they bring out the little bit of leftover pasta for Susan, and more wine to share. Tobias sits on my other side, and Zeke takes over the other couch for himself. We sit and talk a bit more, and I'm thankfully Susan is pretty well reserved and doesn't make any more embarrassing insinuations, but she does bombard them with several random questions. They don't' seem bothered by it though, and it's cute how they've reclined back into the deep set couches, letting themselves get more comfortable.

"You look comfortable." Susan chuckles at Zeke.

"This couch is nice, I just keep sinking further and further in." he replies with a grin.

"I know, I think this actually might be better than my couch." Tobias agrees, turning his head to look at me. "Do you want us to go soon? I'm sorry if we're overstaying our welcome." he says, looking at the clock which I saw a moment ago read almost 10pm. "I guess we missed the traffic anyway by now, so you can kick us out anytime."

"No worries, you guys can stay as long as you want. You're always welcome here."

"I was coming over tonight to watch a movie anyway, why don't you stay and join us?" Susan suggests.

"Yeah, it's a Saturday night, why not?" Zeke says.

Tobias' expression silently asks me my opinion. But what does _he_ want? It's not like Zeke consulted him just then, what if he's tired of hanging out here?

"You tired of me yet?" he asks me, and it's then that I notice as our heads are both reclined back onto the cushions of the couch, turned to face each other, and I'm surprised how close our faces actually are to each other. I hadn't realized we were only about 6" apart, until I felt the warmth of his breath brush across my face and the deep timber of his voice sounding closer than expected.

"No way." I reply immediately. For a moment he just smiles and watches me, then he closes his eyes and breaths in deeply, before opening his eyes again. It's as if he's just breathed in fresh sweet smelling air, and he looks suddenly more content.

"Okay, good," he leans forward and gives me a chaste kiss on the cheek, "But I've got to pee. Can I use your bathroom while you pick the movie?"

"Of course, straight down the hall and to the left, you'll see it."

My face is still tingling where he kissed it, and I wonder what spurred him to do that. Is he like this what all his female friends?

Zeke seems oblivious and is already over by my shelf of movies, browsing the collection, pulling out a couple contenders. But again, Susan speaks her opinions clearly.

"Seriously, Tris? You believe me now?"

I ignore her and stand up, "Help Zeke pick a movie, and I'll make some popcorn."

* * *

At some point I must fall asleep during the 3 hour movie, as usual, the comfortable couch getting the best of me. Plus, it was just an exhausting day.

I glance at the clock and notice it's almost midnight, and let my eyes drift closed again briefly. But then I realize my head isn't on the pillow or couch cushion... I notice it's rising and falling, and I hear a heartbeat...I guess my head is on a firm chest, and there is a muscular arm around me holding me gently, presumably so I don't slide away and end up sleeping at some weird angle and getting a sore neck.

I open my eyes to see up close of Tobias' t-shirt, with the excellent view of his whole lower half from an unfamiliar perspective.

We're still on the couch, but he's reclined back, his feet crossed and resting on the coffee table. My own bare feet, which are currently quite chilly, are curled up on the couch beside me, seeking the warmth beneath the large throw blanket Susan is curled up beneath from where she lays down on my other side, her head probably still resting on the arm of the couch.

From this new angle on his chest, I'm able to get an up close view of the slight dips and curves his abs made noticeable through his shirt when it's tugged taut like this...and the slight natural bulge of is groin area through his board shorts is mouthwatering. _My gosh, I can only imagine what he would look like if he were hard right now._

Embarrassed of these thoughts, especially while in his presence, I glance up to see if he's awake or asleep.

I see he's still watching the movie, although it seems to be almost over and he seems drowsy. He must feel my eyes on him, because he glances down at me. His lips lift in a tired smile, and I feel bad that he still has at least a half-hour drive. Maybe we shouldn't have suggested a movie. But this was so much fun...wait, I can't believe I fell asleep though! And now I'm lying on him!

"Sorry I dozed off." I tell him, and he smiles and shakes his head.

"I don't blame you, I almost did myself. This is so comfortable." he says, and I assume he's referring to my couch, as they were going on about it earlier. But a part of me hopes he could mean that it's comfortable snuggled up with _me_ like this. I know at least for me personally, this is pretty much the most comfortable I have ever been.

Neither of us attempt to move.

But a few minutes later, when the credits are done rolling, the recording stops and it just stays on the menu to delete, save, and so on, the typical DVR screen at the end of a recording. It's then, in the silence of the room, that I notice Zeke is fast asleep over on the other couch, snoring lightly.

Tobias chuckles at this, but then yawns, causing me to yawn too. I again wonder if he's up for to a long drive this late and feel bad for being the cause of it. Plus, Zeke's already passed out...

"Hey, if you want, you guys can just stay here tonight if you don't feel like driving this late. And besides, you've been drinking. I can just bring some pillows and blankets out for Zeke, and you can take my guest bedroom if you'd like. Otherwise, let me at least call you a car to come pick you guys up so you don't have to drive"

"You really wouldn't care if we stayed?"

"No, not at all. And I don't have any plans tomorrow, so sleep in as late as you want."

He smiles and nods, bringing his hand up to move a move a piece of hair out of my face.

"That sounds nice," he says and a few long moments later, while still watching me, he adds, "You're very sweet."

"You're not so bad yourself."

I see a flash of something cross his face at that moment, but unsure of what it meant. I guess maybe it just feels an intimate moment because we're so close and I can feel his warm breath on my face, and the enticing magnetic pull his lips seem to have...it's a good thing I slept off my little wine buzz, or I might just be thoroughly kissing those lips right now. And that would make things much more complicated.

But when I look up to lock eyes with him, it seems maybe he is just as caught up in the moment as me. His eyes are a shade darker, and his eyes are taking in my face, lingering on my mouth more than usual. Is he going to kiss me?!

Just then, the TV has times out from the recorded movie, having waited on that menu for too long, and switches to live television, which makes us jump since the volume is so loud.

I quickly sit up and grab the remote to turn it down, but it doesn't seem to have awoken Zeke or Susan.

"Well, you don't have to go to bed yet. But I'll show you to your room?" I ask.

He follows me down the hall, and I remind him where the bathroom is, pointing out where the towels are in case he decides he wants a shower. Then I take him to the guest bedroom, which I have decorated fairly simple...a white bed and some throw pillows and s wide knit blanket, a cute decorative rug, and...not much else yet. It's a bit plain, but still cute and welcoming.

"Here it is," I say, gesturing to the spare room, "the sheets are clean, make yourself at home. If you need anything, my room is right there." I say, pointing across the hall to the master bedroom.

He smiles with gratitude, "You're the best."

I leave him alone then, and go brush my teeth and get into my pajamas. I hear him using the other bathroom, I even hear the shower turn on. But just minutes later, he's done and I hear the guest bedroom door click closed again.

Almost forgetting, I hop back up off the edge of my bed, and go grab pillows and blankets to bring to my other two friends still asleep in the family room. But while I'm out there, I hear a buzz and notice Tobias left his phone wedged between the couch cushions where we were sitting, and it's lighting up with apparently another unread text or call. So I grab it (without snooping), and go knock on his door to give it to him.

"Tobias?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry, I was just bringing you your phone." I say, gently turning the doorknob. But then realizing I don't even know if he's decent and I shouldn't' be barging in, I pause and ask, "Wait, is it okay if I come in?"

He chuckles, "Sure, I'm already in bed."

With that, I open the door and let myself in, and I find he's laying back in bed, the covers pulled up to his bellybutton. He's got his shirt off, and the sight is like a spark straight to my clitoris and I catch myself clamping my legs together. Then my eyes are briefly drawn to the floor next to the bed where his board shorts lay next to his shirt.

Fuck, is he naked in that bed right now?

Unless he brought a change of clothes I didn't see before? I was going to offer him something else to wear, but knew I had nothing that would ever fit him, except maybe my big bathrobe. But that just seemed silly to offer. And even then, it would probably be too small on him.

"Um," I swallow, suddenly aware of my hardening nipples straining against my white tank top, and the fact that my little shorts don't cover much more than my bathing suit did earlier. Real subtle, Tris. Where's the bathrobe now? "Here, your phone was stuck in my couch."

I step closer and hand it to him. He takes it gratefully, but sets it on the floor beside his clothes and looks back at me, reaching for my hand. He pulls me closer and looks up at me from where I stand beside the bed, "Thank you again, for everything." he kisses the top of my hand then, and offers me a smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I giggle, unsure of what to think about his staring me down unblinkingly.

"I'm trying to be a gentleman and not look down," he explains with a chuckle of his own, but he keeps his eyes steady on mine, "You have very nice legs, and those shorts are quite short. Not to mention, your tits are perfect and your shirt is see-through."

I immediately cross my arms over my chest and laugh, "Tobias!"

"Sorry, I don't mean to weird you out, just being honest. Take that as a compliment from one friend to another." he grins.

I am pretty much speechless, so I just roll my eyes and keep my arms shielding my body. Why haven't I left the room yet?

"Well, thanks for the ego boost." I finally manage to reply with an amused tone, backing up to leave the room, "I shall leave you to your rest."

"Goodnight, Tris."

"Goodnight, Tobias."

Once I'm back in my bed, my chest is heaving and my mind is reeling. He's obviously had a little too much wine.

Nonetheless, between that, and the whole Nita ordeal and the future of this movie being in temporary limbo, my mind won't slow down and I can't seem to fall asleep.

That is, until I concentrate and close my eyes to re-play in my mind the way he looked at me and what he said. Before I know it, my hand has made its way down beneath my shorts, helping me find the release I need to finally relax and calm myself enough to get a few hours of sleep.

Thankfully with having roommates up until a couple of years ago, I've mastered being quiet. But still, that was proven more difficult than usual, as this was a much better orgasm than I've had before.

* * *

When Monday rolls around, I'm a bit more stressed. Not only do I still feel bad for Nita (making me feel guiltier), since it turns out she did indeed break her leg, but those pictures unfortunately continued to make themselves more known online, and therefore creating a whole array of stories and hype. On top of that...my mind has been reeling...what if Nita can't do the movie now? What if they cast someone much different than me and therefore I'd be cut from the film? Surely they wouldn't want to train two new people instead of just one, right? So they'd likely try to cast someone similar to Nita. But what if that's not the case?

It won't be long until I'm sure to find out my fate if I still have a job or not. I got a call from Amar, telling me training has been cancelled today, and that he wanted me to attend a meeting with him and the Producers in one hour instead.

Not knowing what to expect, especially since it's at their offices, not the training center, I get dressed somewhat nicely in a longer navy blue skirt and a white blouse. But I bring my fitness wear in a bag in the car just in case.

When I arrive, I'm sent up the elevator to the top floor, which leads to what appears to be a large fancy meeting room. I'm let in through the glass door, and I'm surprised to see everyone who's sat at the large oval table. I'm introduced to them all, even though I recognize all six of them. On the right side of the table, are procedures Tori Wu, David Anderson and Jeanine Matthews, and on the left, Amar, Tobias, and George Wu, the writer and director of "Four".

"Thanks for coming in." George says.

"Yes, we appreciate your quick response," Jeanine chimes in, "Please have a seat." she says, gesturing specifically to the empty chair beside Tobias.

Shit, did they find out he stayed at my house? Is that not allowed? It's not like we did anything...

Tori smiles kindly at me and it puts me slightly at ease, although I'm really kind of freaking out as to what's happening right now.

Surely I can't be in trouble. But why am I specifically here with this group of people? Do they want my opinion? Surely they wouldn't fire me in a group setting like this. Or is this just to keep me up to date on the situation?

Under the table, I feel a squeeze to my hand that I have gripping the seat of my chair. I glance over at Tobias, my nervous eyes meeting his for the first time, "Relax." he says under his breath for only me to hear, with that comforting smile that seems to steady me so well.

"As you know, Nita Paolos was unfortunately injured this weekend, breaking her femur in a beach accident. Thus, putting her in a body cast and pulling her from any work for the next 6 months, minimum." David says, watching me closely.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, I feel terrible. Honestly, I feel partially responsible-" I begin, but Tori puts her hand up to stop me.

"No need to explain, we heard all the details from Zeke and Tobias, you're not to blame for her poor behavior. However, this has unfortunately put us in a bit of an unexpected situation. Which is why we called you in."

"Me?"

"Yes, Tris. You see, we're confident in your abilities. Not only with your stunt work, but with your acting skills. We see how excellent you are at your job, and don't see why you don't expand your repertoire a bit." George explains, and he smiles kindly at me with a bit of amusement behind it. "We also see how you have some undeniable chemistry with our lead guy here." He puts his hand on Tobias' shoulder and looks over to the producers on the other side of the table, "Right guys?"

Wait, what?!

Tori especially smiles and nods in agreement, as does David, but Jeanine's smile looks a little more forced.

"What are you saying exactly?"

"We need a replacement." David says.

"Immediately. We start filming in the next two weeks." George adds.

"You're better than our back-up options." Tori explains.

"And everyone seems to think you're ready for such a part." Jeanine comments before giving me a challenging look as she sips her glass of seltzer water.

I'm so bombarded by all of their words and I feel my mouth opening and closing like a fish, until I look to Tobias for help.

He has a proud and almost hopeful looking smile on his face. "They're offering _you_ the role Tris. They want you to play Harper."

* * *

 **A/N-**

 **Predictable? Not predictable? Ha! Either way, hoped you liked it! We still have lots more of this story to come!**

 **I want to take a moment to say thank you again to Ractre1127, as well as all of you amazing readers! I am blown away by the amount of positive reviews and number of follows/favs. You're amazing!**

 **Ill be back in a week or two with another chapter! :-)**

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 **And/or my Tumblr: madisonr1129**


	8. Chapter 8

**"Role of a Lifetime" (** **RATED M/MA)**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 (** **Tris' POV)**

* * *

 _Recap:_

 _"What are you saying exactly?"_

 _"We need a replacement." David says._

 _"Immediately. We start filming in the next two weeks." George adds._

 _"You're better than our back-up options." Tori explains._

 _"And everyone seems to think you're ready for such a part." Jeanine comments before giving me a challenging look as she sips her glass of seltzer water._

 _I'm so bombarded by all of their words and I feel my mouth opening and closing like a fish, until I look to Tobias for help._

 _He has a proud and almost hopeful looking smile on his face._

 _"They're offering you the role Tris. They want you to play Harper."_

* * *

"I-I'm...I'm sorry, are you serious? As in acting the whole role?" I finally manage to get out, although my voice practically trembling.

"Yes." George says confidently.

"Of course you'd still be doing the stunt scenes as well." Amar adds.

"I just...I guess I don't understand..." I reply truthfully, looking down at my lap, thinking for a moment.

"How so?" Tori asks.

"I mean, I read the script, she's supposed to be..." A beautiful sexy spy, a perfect match for Four, I think to myself. But then I look up, realizing I almost said those things out loud. An awkward silence settles as I think of what to say to cover up my faux pas...the last thing I need is for them to sense my underlying insecurities if they're really serious about this "She's supposed to be a German spy. But I don't speak German, and I've got very little actual acting experience." I manage to finish.

I can tell Tobias isn't convinced that's what I was going to say, but he doesn't mention it.

"We can arrange to get you a dialect coach working with you right away. I know it's not much time, but it's not like you have to go learning a whole new language, you just have to learn your few German lines, and get down the accent for the rest." George says.

"And don't forget, Tris - you've been acting in every movie role you've had, whether you've shown your face or had lines or just done the stunt work. You've got quite a bit of experience when you look at it that way. Besides, we've seen some of your acting footage from that TV show a few years ago, and the commercials you've done. You've really got talent Tris." Tori says, and my eyes meet hers as she smiles warmly, "It'll be a lot of hard work, and you and Tobias are going to have to bust your asses memorizing your lines, but we're confident you can handle it. We wouldn't have offered otherwise."

"I'll help you, you know that." Tobias states, resting his hand on my knee in a reassuring gesture.

"You don't have to make a decision right this second. But as you know, we're on a bit of a time constraint. So we do need an answer by Wednesday morning. Take this contract to look over until then. Then, just give Tori a call." George explains, handing me the paperwork. I briefly glance over it before looking back up at him.

Holding it in my hands seems to really help this sink in...they really want me to be the main supporting actress in the new George Wu film?! Surely I must be dreaming, right?

"Okay...and thank you, I'm very flattered you're actually considering me for this. I hope you know, it definitely sounds appealing, but I appreciate the time to think about it. I'll call you first thing Wednesday, if not sooner."

"Excellent, we look forward to hearing from you." David replies, standing up as if concluding the meeting. "Now, let's wrap this up, I have places to be."

I notice Amar huff slightly under his breath but he doesn't say anything, just stands up too.

"It was nice meeting you, Ms. Prior." Jeanine says, gathering her things.

"You as well, and thank you again."

"Please don't hesitate to call if you have any questions either." Tori tells me as she walks by, handing me her business card.

The rest of us say our goodbyes, but Tobias hangs around until the executives have left to ask, "Can I walk you to your car?". He sounds hopeful.

"Sure."

Once we're out of the office, we walk down the hall side by side and I catch him looking at me again.

"What?"

"You look nice." he tells me, giving me a smirk as he tugs on the side of my skirt just to point out what he means.

"That's probably because you see me in my workout clothes most of the time." I tease, pressing the down button next to the elevator.

"I saw you in something else at the beach...and the other night in your pj's," he comments cheekily, his flirty smile giving me butterflies again, "And there's nothing wrong with those workout clothes, trust me."

"Spoken like a true guy," I say with a laugh as the elevator door opens for us and we step inside, "I remember your comment about my pajama top. You're a handful, you know that?" I flirt, lightly smacking his chest with the back of my hand.

Maybe I'm imagining it, but I could swear I see his face get a little red. Wait, is he blushing?

"I really said that out loud?" he asks, but before I can answer, the elevator dings as it comes to a halt and the doors open on the main floor level.

I step out first, offering him a teasing smile over my shoulder so he knows I'm not mad. "How my tits look nice in my top? Yes, you did. I don't know if you were serious or joking, but it was a boost to my confidence, so thanks." Now the blush is my cheeks.

We exit the building through the automatic doors, and head down the sidewalk towards the multi-level parking garage where my car is parked.

"Oh, I was serious, I just didn't realize I actually said it out loud. I was extremely tired, I got very little sleep the night before...and I was a bit buzzed, we had a lot of wine." he chuckles, but then tugs on my hand, pulling me gently to a stop. I turn to face him and he looks at me sincerely, his eyes shining with apology, "I'm relieved you took it as a compliment, I hope I didn't freak you out. I probably sounded like a complete douche-"

"You didn't." I give his hands a reassuring squeeze and I feel him squeeze back.

He smiles, looking a little more relaxed, but then he looks thoughtful as he asks me, "Do you think you're going to take the part?"

"I don't know...I mean, my first instinct is to say yes, absolutely, because this is obviously an amazing opportunity. And honestly, it'd probably be a lot of fun. I'd feel kind of stupid saying no. But, there are a lot of things to consider... I've never really strived to be an actor, being in the spotlight like that."

He nods in understanding, "Well, if you want to talk about it, we don't have training today, so..." There's a hopeful look in his eyes.

"What are you suggesting?" I ask, a hopeful smile of my own. He seems to get the hint and grins and shrugs.

"Well, it's fucking hot out today," he starts, rubbing the back of his neck, which seems to be sign of anxiety. "How about we could go get some ice cream and talk?" he suggests. Could this guy get any better?

"Now?"

"Sure," he says, a small smile forming, "there's a great place just a few blocks from here, lets walk."

He holds his arm out, waiting for me, and I do what I think he's suggesting...I link my arm with his, and we begin walking the other way instead, away from the parking garage.

I bite my cheek in effort to reel back my smile as we remain like this as we stroll down the sidewalk towards the ice cream shop.

Feeling him this close to me, and his strong arm interlaced with mine, feels more right than I ever thought it would. Whenever we hold hands, link arms, give casual friendly hugs...it always feel like I'm right where I'm meant to be. That might be just wishful thinking on my part, but he wouldn't ask to hang out with me if he didn't feel anything either…right?

Here it's been weeks now, and I'm still trying to convince myself that I'll grow out of my feelings towards him. But each time I'm around him, the feelings just seem to get stronger and more intensified... so maybe I was wrong? That would be silly for this to be more than just a crush, right?

I need to focus.

"Do you think I should take it? You seemed pretty into the idea, but I didn't know if that was just for their sake or if you actually think it's a good idea."

"Well, I do...I think you'd be really great. You're a great match for the part, you're a talented actress, and you already know the story and character well. But that doesn't mean you should just take it. You have to be confident in your decision, and make it for the right reasons."

"So, should we do the pros and cons?" I ask, half teasing, half actually considering the idea. Who else do I have to talk to? My dad would be an immediate NO, Susan would be an immediate yes and would try to talk me into it, Caleb would be an immediate yes as well...as would the rest of my friends. But I don't really have anyone that would be impartial. Well, except for possibly Tobias. He said he likes the idea, but seems open minded if I decide against it...and he always does seem to be honest with me.

"That's not a bad idea actually," he says, pulling me closer into his side as we turn a corner at the next block and have to pass by some people through a narrower path. I can smell the enticing scent of him and that sexy cologne, and I find myself leaning in a little more just to capture his scent for another moment longer.

At the next street corner, I see a small line coming out of a tiny creamery. "You're familiar with this place?" I ask as we get in line. We let go of each other at this point, opting to face each other as we talk and wait.

I admire how sexy he looks as he tucks his hands in his pockets and stands there so casually and utterly handsome. My eyes wander his body as he takes in the line ahead of us and I worry my lip between my teeth.

"Yeah, happened to walk by it one day after a meeting, they have the best chocolate hazelnut brownie ice cream. I could probably eat a whole pint of it in one sitting."

I chuckle, not expecting him to choose a flavor like that. When I see him eat, he doesn't often go for the extra sweet things. I guess he likes chocolate... maybe one day I'll make him my grandmother Edith's famous chocolate cake, I'm so glad I inherited that recipe.

Wait, why am I thinking about making him baked goods now?

"That sounds really good, I presume the have quite the selection if they have flavors like that?" I ask, trying to keep my mind from wandering back to the way his shirt hugs his frame in just the right way.

"They do, it's great. You really like fruit, right?" he asks, and I smile at him, touched that he's paid attention and would ask something like that.

"I do, there isn't really any I dislike." I admit. "Well, I have yet to try durian fruit." I chuckle, making a somewhat grossed out face.

He grins at me, "I don't think we should try that anytime soon...but if you do, you know I will too."

"And you know I'll make you." I grin back.

"Anyway, they have some really good looking ones here...a blueberries and cream, some sort of blackberry thing...I think they even have fig and lemon. I don't remember them all, but there's a lot."

"Those sound amazing. But you probably always get the same chocolate hazelnut one, right?"

"Yeah, well..." he chuckles, not denying it.

"You'll have to sample mine then."

"Okay, if you try mine too. Oh, and the best part, is that it's real honest ice cream, none of that frozen yogurt crap."

"You don't like frozen yogurt?"

"No," he makes a face of disgust and shivers, making me laugh.

"I knew you'd eventually tell me all your deep dark secrets," I say jokingly.

He waggles his eyebrows, "You haven't heard nothin'yet." He teases back, mimicking my statement once before. "You going to return the favor? I need to hear about you now. What's a dessert that disgusts you?"

"Disgusts me?" I ask, crossing my legs and shifting my weight to one leg as I think about that answer. I'm not paying attention and stumble over my own feet, falling into him, but he catches me and holds onto my upper arms until I've righted myself. "Sorry," I mumble. "S'okay." He adds, his hands running down the length of my arms before they're back in his pockets. I tilt my head and close my eyes as I ponder my disgusting dessert options, opening them when I realize the answer is fairly easy- "Flan...not a fan of custard type things anyway, but especially not in the form of flan. I just can't."

He chuckles and since I hadn't realized the line has moved forward, he guides me forward a little using his hand gently on the small of my back.

"Hi, what can I get ya today?" the guy behind the counter asks as we step up.

Tobias looks to me. "Ladies first," he says.

I glance over all the selections briefly one more time before deciding, "A scoop of the chocolate blood orange, and a scoop of blueberries and cream, please." I request, and he goes on to order his usual, two scoops of that chocolaty thing.

He insists on paying, and we find a table for two over on the back patio.

"So, you really don't mind helping me figure out what I should do?"

"Of course not. Pros and cons you say?" he asks, scooping his first bite from the teal colored cup into his mouth.

I nod and shrug before taking a taste of my own ice cream and practically moaning from the pleasure of the flavors taking over my mouth, he wasn't exaggerating, this is really good.

"You like?" he asks with a smirk and I nod, taking another bite.

"Good. Now do you have a pen?" he asks, gesturing to my purse. I reach in and grab him one as he pulls a napkin from the dispenser on our table.

He makes a little chart, half for 'Pros' and half for 'Cons'. "You want to list them?"

"Alright, Pros..." I say, eating more ice cream before listing some I had already considered, "Amazing once in a lifetime opportunity...great experience on my resume...amazing cast and crew to learn from on my first big role...better paycheck...more traveling...friends would probably encourage it, helping you guys out..."

He scribbles all of these down, nodding in agreement. I giggle as I see him simply add his name in big bold letters to the "Pros" side and circles it, then looks up and give me a wink.

"What, should I move my name to the other side?"

"No," I laugh, "you're fine under the pros. You did get me this ice cream after all." I courageously offer a wink back and then focus back on the paper in front of him.

Then he rests his hand over the other section, giving me a curious look, "Alright, the cons?"

"Um...well, a ton of extra work and training...I suck at accents... it's more pressure and stress...more exposure and therefore less privacy with my personal life, which kind of freaks me out...it would make me much busier and give me less time with friends and family...my dad will be against it."

"You really think he would?"

I nod sadly, "He's not so keen on the idea of me working in this business to begin with, let alone taking on a role like that. Especially considering it's rated R and has some...adult oriented scenes..." I mumble that last bit, embarrassed for bringing it up.

"What, the hotel bathroom scene?" he asks, a not-so-subtle smile on his face.

"Yeah, Nita mentioned that one a few times..."

"Does it make you uncomfortable? If it makes you feel better, Nita had talked her way into having the exposed breast shot; she thought it would improve ratings...so that could probably be cut if you didn't want to do it. I wouldn't blame you for wanting to stay discreet like that."

I laugh lightly, shaking my head, thinking about Nita suggesting that on her own behalf. Although I'm sure it didn't take much convincing.

"But I'd still have to be naked...and acting out a passionate sex scene in front of strangers, that will then be shown to lots more strangers." I whisper chuckle, kind of not even believing that I'm actually considering this.

He shrugs and nods, "It can be a little ridiculous at times, but it's part of the business, you get used to it. And yeah, there's a small crew nearby watching and directing, but it's not usually too bad if you have a solid group of people. As far as the nudity...well, it does feel a bit bare, but we'd have our main parts covered." he says and I quirk an eyebrow.

"The guys get a cock sock of sorts...and the girl usually gets a thong, but taped on with the sides cut off, pasties for your chest are usually an option too. But again, with properly placed limbs and camera angles, it'd still look nice and steamy and tastefully done for the scene," he looks up at me then and looks me straight in the eye, "but we're really just grinding on each other in skimpy underwear, nothing too difficult." I swallow thickly, the gulp sound audible between us. "Think you can handle that?" he adds.

"I-I...uh, sure-"

He gives me that sexy grin then, "You're adorable," he says and moves his spoon forward to steal a bite of my ice cream.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't know what adorable means? It means you're cute, and you make me smile."

Ah!

"No," I chuckle, "Why'd you say it like that right then? You think I can handle the scene?"

"You're the one that added it to her cons list," he points out, and I feel kind of bad when he puts it that way. I hope he didn't take it personally. I doubt that though, right? I mean, who wouldn't want to have a sex scene with Tobias Eaton?

"It's just a bit daunting...especially for my first real acting role." I admit, blowing a strand of hair out of my face and setting my now almost empty cup aside.

"It may seem daunting, but I have a feeling you'd do great. You just can't stress about it. It's just a day or two of filming out of many, many more, it'll feel like just another day a work by the time we get to that scene. And it's just me, so it shouldn't be too weird, right?"

"The truth is…" I start.

"What?" He replies, concern evident in his voice.

"It's just, I'm not attractive like Nita is, I mean the curves, boobs, that's not me…so how am I supposed to be sexy in a love scene when I'm just not!?"

"Tris, being sexy isn't about big boobs, or big curves. It's confidence in yourself…" He comforts, looking me in the eye.

"Right, that's why all movies have skinny girls like me and 'A' cup breasts…" I reply with a fake laugh. My insecurities are now out there.

"I'm not just saying this to make you feel better, but Tris, I find you incredibly sexy. I mean the other night, with that shirt and the boob comment, that I thought was in my head…" He laughs.

I can't help but smile at his face. "Thanks."

"Besides, we can always rehearse if you'd like..." The smirk on his face is undeniable and incredibly adorable.

I snort out a scoff of a laugh, reaching my spoon over to steal a bite of his ice cream now.

"You're incorrigible."

"I'm trying to be a helpful friend and co-star here." he says jokingly, but he's speaking the truth whether he realizes it or not.

"You are..."

"Well, I want you to know, I cherish this," he says, using his hand to gesture between he and I, "and I don't want to lose that...so no matter if you take the role or not, know that I'll support your decision, and nothing will change because of it. You need to make this decision solely for yourself, based on what you truly want. Don't let anyone else talk you into something you don't want to do." he says, and again, I'm touched by his sincerity and thoughtfulness.

"Thank you."

"But I also really want you to know that this movie would be better with you in it." He confirms taking my hand in his.

* * *

I woke up early the next day and took a run on the beach to clear my mind and deliberate over my decision. By the time I was done, I was still leaning towards saying 'yes'. So I drove out to San Diego to visit my Aunt, who is also my lawyer, to have her read through the contract to make sure everything looked good. After she gave me the thumbs up, and I saw the way she looked so proud of me ...and so much like my mother...I immediately I knew right there that I had to do it. "Your mother would be so proud of you," she had told me before I left.

I also called Caleb and Susan when I got home, who thankfully agreed that I'm making the right choice. Even though I told myself I made this decision completely on my own, I'm still relieved that they're so excited for me.

Afterward, I called my father. I didn't ask him what he thought...I just told him my next move, feeling like I should keep him informed. He was surprisingly quiet, so the conversation was more just awkward than anything.

I guess it went better than I thought...but maybe that's because he hasn't read the script yet.

After that phone call, I finally just decide to call Tori. I may as well just tell her now, as I'm sure they'd like to get things moving.

"Tori speaking." She answers.

"Hi Tori, it's Tris."

"Oh, hello Tris, so glad to hear from you. How can I help you?"

"Well, I just wanted to let you know I've made my decision, and I figured there was no reason to wait until tomorrow to tell you."

"Really? And?"

"I'll take the part." I tell her, my voice coming out shaky, although I feel relief at finally making it official.

We talk a bit more, and she's extremely appreciative of the call. She says she will email me tomorrow's schedule, as it will be a packed day. I'm a little nervous, hoping I'm not getting in over my head, but she's reassuring and extremely helpful.

And the more I think about it as I straighten up around my house and catch up on some laundry, the more excited I am for this new step in my life.

I decide that I should go ahead and tell Tobias too, I haven't heard from him at all today anyway.

I must be on his mind as well, because just as I pick my phone back up to text him, I get an incoming text from him first.

Tobias: How's it going? You have plans today? Was thinking of seeing a movie…

Instead of texting back, I decide I'd rather hear his voice. So I scroll through my contacts and dial his number.

To my surprise, he answers on the first ring.

"Tris?"

"Yeah, hi, it's me. I figured I'd just call..."

"I'm glad you did."

I bite my lip as I smile, reaching into the cupboard to grab the laundry soap.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Just hanging out at the house, studying the script, but I was going to take a break."

"Shit, I should probably be studying it too." I say, worrying that I've spend much of the day making phone calls and leisurely doing house chores, when I should be reading lines! If I've already decided to do the part, I shouldn't be wasting any time!

"Does that mean what I think it does?" he asks and I hear the smile in his voice.

"Yeah, I just called Tori, I'm officially your Harper."

"Alright!" He hollers in excitement. I can imagine him doing a 'fist pump' into the air.

"You're really excited?" I laugh, my heartbeat picking up at the thought of him really wanting to work with me.

"Yeah, it's going to be badass."

"Well, let's see if you say that after day one of filming and I'm stuttering like an idiot. Now what were you saying about the movies?"

"You're going with me, that's what. See you soon?"

"I'll be ready."

As I wait for him to come over, I decide to change from my sweats, to my black skinny jeans and a white top, so that it actually looks like I'm going out for the day. Thankfully I've already showered and my hair doesn't look too terrible the way it dried.

I also check my email, and I end up seeing that Tori has indeed set me up for a full day for tomorrow. That should be interesting.

Just as I close the email app on my phone, I hear Tobias' knock at the door.

"Hi you," I say, letting him in, "I just have to grab my jacket in case it cools down later."

"No problem," He steps in, and stands near the entryway. But it's not until I've grabbed my lightweight black jacket from the closet and turned back around, that I notice he has a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. It's a beautiful assortment of summery flowers wrapped in a bundle of what looks like a burlap square and twine. It seems that he went to one of those fancy flower shops that charge ten times as much as the grocery store. I think it's kind of silly to spend so much...but it's a really sweet gesture, and I'm definitely not going to complain.

Once we lock eyes, he hands me the bouquet, and I see a new sort of smile on his face...it's a little crooked, a little shy, and completely adorable.

"Congratulations, Tris."

"Tobias..." I start, not knowing what to say and feeling a lump in my throat, so I shyly take them from him and head towards the kitchen to grab a vase. Once I've got them in some water on the table, I face him again, giving him an appreciative smile. "Thank you, I've never been given flowers before."

"Really?" he asks, surprised.

"Not that many occasions called for it I guess. I mean, I got some from my dad for graduation..."

"But boyfriends didn't get you them for birthdays? Valentine's Day? What is wrong with them?"

I chuckle, grabbing my purse and leading the way out of my house. "I've told you, I have very limited relationship experience..."

"Care to divulge further on that topic?"

"Well, besides my silly two-month 'relationship' with Ian Turner in high school...I've had exactly two boyfriends since then. Both of which lasted less than a year...and yeah, they weren't the flower giving type I guess."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've only had a few and none of them lasted any longer either. My old college roommate Eric used to tease me, calling me gay for not hooking up all the time." he chuckles, but shakes his head as if reliving that annoying memory.

Once were settled in the car, having just buckled, he looks at me. "I've always just preferred to focus on my career...and I find it a waste of time to try going out with girls that didn't peak my interest, ya know?" This surprised me about him. I always thought he was a bit of a ladies man, so it's nice to know he's actually been very reserved in his 'extra curricular activies'. He starts the engine, "What theater should we head to, you'd know better than me."

"Um, just head left, I'll explain as we go..." I say and he nods, pulling out of my driveway.

When we get to the theater, he insists on buying us snacks, getting us a bucket of popcorn to share, candy, and drinks.

I'm glad it's an early Tuesday evening and we're seeing a movie that's been out for a while, so we're two of only about six people in here, and we're the only two in the upper few rows, specifically in the very back row and in the darker spot in the middle so that he's not seen as easily.

Oh how I wish this were a real date...

"Robert Redford." he says as I'm silencing my phone.

"Hmm?"

He gestures to the screen where there's pre-movie trivia, and seeing the question, I see he's saying the answer.

"That's an easy one." I chuckle.

"True, but probably not for most of kids that come through here these days."

The next question comes up, and we say the answer at the same time, "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

The next question though, has me stumped. But he seems to know it, and I love the competitive grin he gives me when he answers.

"I'm on fire!" he chuckles, and takes a small handful of popcorn.

"Yeah, you're pretty good. If we didn't have the next several months booked, I'd say you should come out with me for pub quiz sometime. My friends and I go every so often, it can actually be a lot of fun. And winning table gets a free pitcher of beer." I say with a smile. He looks at me, a sweet smile of his own.

"Raincheck. I promise."

The lights dim all the way then, and the upcoming movie trailers begin.

We sit and watch peacefully, and I love hearing his laugh when parts are funny. He's sweet, making sure I have access to the popcorn, and even offers me some of his peanut m&m's.

I don't know when it happened, but at some point during the movie, he puts his arm around my seat. It seems like a casual gesture, as we're comfortable friends. But just like always, I love the feel of it, being somewhat encased in his arms, in his warmth.

Even though it's barely touching my shoulders, I suddenly feel much more aware of every subtle movement either of us makes.

But when he goes to pull it away to grab a sip of his drink, my hair seems to snag in his watch.

"Oh crap, sorry," he whispers, trying to help me detach myself.

"It's okay." I whisper back.

He's holding his wrist up alongside my face, carefully pulling the strands away from the watch. It doesn't take him long to free me, and when he does, he reaches up and gives me head a little rub in the spot it tugged from, and leans forward to kiss it.

The gesture is so unexpected and sweet, that I seem to forget the movie is even still playing; I'm too stuck staring at him.

When I look into his eyes I almost think I see a hint of nervousness and hopefulness, but I have no idea why. Am I just seeing things? Am I that desperate for him to look at me like that?

"Sorry, I guess you just seem kissable right now..." he says with a small smirk, but still talking quietly so as not to disturb the other movie watchers.

Maybe it's stupid, but following my instincts, I smile coyly and say the first response that comes to mind at his comment, "Well so do you. I lean up to kiss his cheek, but it ends up getting a bit closer to his mouth than I expected. I quickly look forward again in my seat, unsure of his reaction because I'm too embarrassed to look.

I unexpectedly feel him lean in then, and even before I hear the deep timber of his voice, I feel his warm breath against my ear, giving me goose bumps all over my arms. "I lied, you're always kissable...I've wanted to since the moment I met you."

* * *

 **A/N-**

 **Thanks for reading! What did you think?**

 **I'm again blown away by all the wonderful encouraging reviews for that last chapter! Thank you! I appreciate all the follows and favorites too, it's so motivating!**

 **Also, a special thanks to Ractre1127, as well as MillieMae1981. Thank you for your beta help and suggestions, you rock!** **(Readers: I suggest you check out their stories if you haven't yet, they're great!)**

 **As for the next update...Chapter 9 should be posted in a week or two.**

 **My Pinterest is a big source of inspiration for this story. If you'd like to follow along, you can find me at: madisonrose1129**

 **Tumblr: madisonr1129**

 **:-)**


	9. Chapter 9

**"Role of a Lifetime" (RATED M/MA)**

* * *

 **Chapter 9 (Tris' POV)**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I apologize for the delay on posting this chapter, as I usually try and update weekly. I had friends from out of town visiting, on top of my busy work schedule. So it took me a bit longer this time!**

* * *

 **Reminder/Disclaimer:**

 **I do not own the rights to Divergent or its characters. We have the lovely Veronica Roth to thank for that. This is just my fanfic.**

 **Also, the movie "Four" that Tris and Tobias are filming in this story, is heavily inspired by The Bourne Identity (and even includes some of the script in this chapter). So credit where credit is due.**

* * *

 _Recap:_

 _I unexpectedly feel him lean in then, and even before I hear the deep timber of his voice, I feel his warm breath against my ear, giving me goose bumps all over my arms. "I lied, you're always kissable...I've wanted to since the moment I met you."_

There's a moment of pause then...where I'm at a loss for how to reply, feeling both like I'm going to hyperventilate as I comprehend his words, but also feeling like this is my opportunity to be honest and more open too.

"You shouldn't be allowed to say stuff like that..." I quarterback with a shy smile, "not without doing something about it."

He looks back at me then, his gaze ardent as his face hovers close to mine, but he looks torn, like he's debating in his head. "I wish I could," he adds as he raises a hand to cup my face, his thumb grazing my cheek.

"What do you mean?" I whisper back, unsure as to why he wouldn't be able to.

I should have known it was too good to be true...

"You see…I'm kind of torn, because a part of me wants to honor our contract, it's legal after all...and I'm good at playing by the rules. But it clearly states that no two actors shall commence in personal non-work related relations during the making of the movie, which won't technically be over for another year. But...fuck, Tris, a part of me really wants our first kiss to be like this...one where it's just for us, and it's for real. Not just for the cameras...ya know?"

"Yeah," I whisper, subconsciously licking my lips. Our first kiss?! He's so sweet...but what is this about the contract? How did I miss that?

"Do our contracts really say that?"

"Yeah, I uh...ironically I'm actually the one who requested it be put in there, just in case Nita got to difficult to deal with. I really have never been interested in her like that, but she didn't seem to get the hint...so I wanted to avoid conflict there so that it wouldn't affect our performance on screen. But now... it's you acting along side me, not her..."

"So...?"

"So, I want to get the contract changed back. I mean, it's not necessary now...right? Not if, say...potentially, two actors mutually wanted to..."

"...Commence in personal relations?" I chuckle, quoting him earlier, but my heart is pounding at his words.

"Yeah." He says, smiling.

"You think it's possible? I mean, it's not too late to make a revision to the contract?"

"I don't know, but I'm definitely going to try."

"Okay." I say, smiling back.

Although underneath, I'm still slightly disappointed that we have to wait. Even the prospect of a kiss with him had gotten my hopes up more than I realized. But I need to be thankful and recognize the blessing that is this man before me, and the words he just spoke. He basically wants to change our contracts back so that we could be together if we decide to.

"But until then, it's pretty dark back here, I doubt anyone would notice..." He suggests.

"Well, I do agree about that whole first kiss thing...it should probably be just me and you. I mean, what if I screw up and kiss you all wrong or something? I don't want to embarrass myself in front of everyone." I joke, but I have a hopeful smile as I struggle to keep my breathing calm. Is this really a possibility?!

He doesn't even bother saying anything else; he's suddenly leaning in the rest of the way, and I only have a split second to mentally prepare myself.

And then it's happening, he's pressing his lips firmly to mine. I feel his hand move from my cheek to reach back to cradle the back of my neck as his other settles on my knee, both of which feel incredible. But it doesn't quite compare to the feel of his lips. They're soft and warm, and absolutely the most wonderful pair of full lips I have ever felt.

Thankfully, despite my mind being completely awestruck by his actions, my body seems to know how to reciprocate on it's own accord. I happily kiss him back, showing him how much I've craved this too. But I already crave more, so moments later, I decide to open my mouth slightly, in case he wants to allow his tongue to explore, It does as soon as my lips part. My hands find their way into his hair holding him close as our tongues battle for dominance.

His tongue caresses mine as his fingers tangle into my own hair, tugging gently, but using the grasp to hold me against him. My hand instinctually moves from his hair and reaches out and grasps his shirt, pulling him closer still, and I hear a low noise come from the back of his throat at my movement.

I smile against his mouth, causing him to as well. I think he's about to pull away, but he ends up tilting his head a bit, deepening the kiss even more. I realize then, that I should probably do everything I can to keep my own noises at bay.

It's not until I hear music begin to play in the background, that I remember we're here seeing a movie which is still playing, but the old Mazzy Star song seems so romantic and fitting in the moment, and this feels so spectacular, that neither of us seem to want to stop. We're in our own little bubble up here in the upper row.

In fact, it's not until a couple minutes later when the music changes to a much more abrupt and upbeat song, that we actually pull away, lips swollen. Glancing at the screen briefly, we realize the credits are now rolling. But he remains close, looking at me as he breaths heavily, a look of awe on his face.

I smile and bite my lip; unsure of what to say, and desperately hoping he doesn't regret that. But by his expression, it sure doesn't seem that way.

"I...wow..." he says with a giant smile that he doesn't even seem to try and hide.

I let out a soft unexpected giggle, "I guess we missed the end of the movie."

"Worth it." He leans forward and pecks my lips one more time, "I guess we'll have to watch it together again sometime."

"I'm holding you to it." I tease as we get up to leave since the theater is emptying out. But we remain standing there in our shadowed area.

He takes my hands and I smile up at him, loving these little moments we keep seeming to share, especially lately.

"One more?" He asks, "I had a feeling it would be hard for me to resist more..."

I reply by using his hands in mine to pull him to me, slanting my lips against his in another passionate, but unfortunately quicker kiss. His hands are still holding mine at our sides, but our bodies are close, and I realize standing up against him like this, how much bigger he is than me. He may be slender and lean, but he's muscular, and his 6'2 height seems quite a bit taller than my 5'5 when he's having to bend down to kiss me.

But it doesn't seem to bother either of us, and to be honest, I absolutely love the feel of his body encompassing mine, holding me close and giving me an idea of what his firm body could possibly feel like beneath his clothes...

But we hear the laughing of people coming down the hall, accompanied by the sound of wheeled trash cans being rolled in to aid the workers in cleaning the theater before the next show. So we quickly descend the steps and exit out the side door that leads directly out to the parking lot.

Once we're in the car, he drives me back home. I'm happy to say he kisses me one more time as we say goodbye.

I just hope we can share more like this...where like he said, they're real, and they're just for us.

"I had a really great time this evening," he tells me, "I wish things could be easier and we could do stuff like this all the time."

"That's what you get for being a big Hollywood actor." I tease, smiling at him as the moon reflects off his deep blue eyes, making them look almost silver.

"I guess you're right, I got myself into this...but still, a guy can dream."

"At least we're in this movie together, we'll still get to hang out a lot."

"My favorite perk." He adds, a smirk on his lips.

I lean in then and peck his lips once more, "I had a really great time too, it was..." I say, bashfully looking down but not being able to holdback my grin, "unexpected, but absolutely wonderful. Thank you again."

He smiles at that, seemingly happy to hear my feedback. "See you tomorrow?"

"Okay." I say with a smile.

* * *

The next morning, I wake early and take care of the legal paperwork as Tori arranged, then meet up with the acting/dialect coach that they've brought in to help me.

Thankfully all goes smoothly there, and three hours later, I'm already feeling a lot more confident. I still need another session though, so I'm glad they squeezed that into my schedule tomorrow.

By two o'clock, I'm downing a smoothie on my way to the costume department, where I'm to start getting fitted, as well as a mock test of hair and makeup.

Once I've been introduced to the team and I set my stuff down, it seems like only a matter of moments before I'm being measured from head to toe, then pushed onto a very lounged chair where I'm waxed, plucked, scrubbed free of all the nail polish I had on my toes, my teeth are whitened, my hair is dyed slightly darker and is given a deep conditioning treatment, and then I'm lathered in lotion, a fresh coat of clear polish is put on my nails, and I'm handed off to my main hair and makeup team for the rest of the treatment. All I can think about is how I'm like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality getting her makeover. But I wasn't all that bad before, right?

I try and remind myself they're helping me prepare to play the role of a different person, so this is actually a good thing, it'll be easier to get into character. Not to mention it's nice to be all polished up before I start making more public appearances. I just hope I still look at least a little like myself at the end of all this...but I have yet to look in a mirror in a while, so I'm not sure what to expect.

"Hey doll, I'm Lauren. Good to meet you." The eccentric hair stylist greets me with a warm smile. She's likely in her mid-to-late 30's, has long straight burgundy colored hair, a couple of facial piercings, and black framed glasses on. She has several bracelets on that jingle noisily as she outstretches her hand to shake mine.

I smile back kindly, "I'm Tris, it's nice to meet you too."

"Well Tris, let's get started. Your hair in this movie isn't actually all that difficult, so it shouldn't take us very long each day." She explains, pointing to a small printed out collage of hairstyle ideas they're considering for various scenes. "Have a seat," she says then, pointing at her salon style chair. I do as I'm told and she immediately begins blow-drying my wet hair. About ten minutes later, she's finishing up the simple style, and we're mid-conversation about all-natural hair products when another girl joins us in the trailer.

"Hey Christina, she's just about ready for you." Lauren tells the girl, presumably my makeup artist.

Christina casually plops down into the salon chair next to me, which is facing mine. She's got dark eyes, short dark hair, her septum pierced, and a wide beautiful smile that's shown off by her fire engine red stained lips. She's shorter than me, probably around 5'2, but even just from her body language, I can already tell she's a tough one.

"Awesome, I'm ready when you are. So, you're Tris Prior? The big up and comer?"

"Well, I'd call myself more of a...backup, but yeah, that's me." I reply shyly.

"You done any acting?" She asks, pulling out a package of red vines from her purse and taking one for herself before offering us the package.

Lauren chuckles and takes it and offers me one, but I wait to eat it as I answer Christina's question. I tell her about my few minor acting parts, and the stunt work I've done. I even mention my schooling briefly, explaining how I got into this industry without really considering becoming just a straight up actor, always relying on the stunt work that I enjoy. But being offered this opportunity, I decided to take a leap of faith and do it.

Christina nods and smiles, obviously happy to have me sharing so much about myself. But I don't seem to mind, these girls seem really nice and I feel comfortable around them. I'm already getting the 'friend' vibes .

Lauren adds a little hairspray and then switches spots with Christina, who begins testing shades of foundation on me, but ends up going with her initial first pick, claiming she's the master of guessing the right shades. She begins applying it and I'm glad I've mastered sitting still and having patience while having my makeup done like this. I used to fidget and not be able to sit still or keep from wincing. I don't seem to have any problem doing my own make up though, and I'm usually done in 5 or 10 minutes.

"That's so cool, you've done a ton of awesome stuff, and I didn't even know! See, you may be their backup, but you're totally going to own it. Make them wonder why they didn't just hire you off that bat." She encourages with her toothy smile, "You thought you were just coming to shoot a couple stunt scenes, and now here you are, starring opposite Tobias Eaton," she says with excitement in her voice, like she's really happy for me, "Speaking of which, how is he? I assume you've met him...is he nice, or more of a pretentious bastard? It's kind of hit or miss around here."

I chuckle, "No, he's not a pretentious bastard. He's actually really nice. We've been training together for several weeks...it's been fun." I say, not sure if I should reveal much more. Although I guess it wouldn't hurt for them to know we're friends...they'll end up finding out soon anyway...

"I'm sure it's fun, he's definitely not a sore sight on the eyes." Lauren chimes in, still sitting with us eating red vines. The teasing look she gives me makes me wonder if I'm that obvious of my attraction for Tobias. I hope not.

"I agree, he's pretty damn hot," I say with an amused smile, but I feel a little defensive too. I don't want them to think I'm just into him because he's hot, or for his money or his fame. "But we've actually become pretty good friends."

"You were already becoming friends, now you'll be his female supporting actress? How sweet is that!" Christina says, taking her powder brush to my face, swirling it in a circular motion all over my face.

"It's definitely made this transition easier, I'm sure it would have been way more daunting of an idea to take on a role like this had I not met him and realized how easy he is to work with."

"Well, that's cool, I'm glad to hear he's not a jerk." Lauren says, still a part of the conversation, although she's got her face in her phone from where she sits aside.

Christina begins to add some sort of blush or bronzer or something, before questioning me a little more. "So...friend or not, you've got to spill...is he just as dreamy in person?"

"Even better." I blurt out without a second thought.

Christina stops her movements and looks at me, a knowing smile on her face, which we then share with Lauren, then all burst out into a fit of giggles.

"What! It's true! I'm just being honest..."

"Good, you'll get along with Christina real good then." Lauren says with a smile, poking Christina in the butt with the toe of her boot. I raise an eyebrow in question. "She's the most candor person I know." She explains.

I chuckle and look to Christina, who just smiles and shrugs, not denying it. "Why bullshit around when we can get straight to the point?"

"Good point." I agree, closing my eyes as she applies some eyeliner and eye shadow. After she's rubbed that in a bit with some special smudging tool she tells me about, she gets out the mascara.

She ends up working on my face for another five or ten minutes, during which time the three of us talked and got to know each other a bit more. After all, they'll be traveling with us for the on-location filming, so I may as well get more comfortable with them.

I learn that Christina is just a year older than me; she loves shopping, shoes, and cats. She's been a makeup artist for about five years, and we discover we actually happen to have a mutual friend or two since she went to UCLA. I also learn that she can be hilarious, and really is just as candor as Lauren implied.

I learn that Lauren is the wife of a tattoo artist; she used to teach at a cosmetology school, but has since gotten into this side of business. She's also allergic to shellfish, absolutely loves The Walking Dead and her dog Roxanne and she's passionate about music, which is an area we seem to relate the most. Besides the dog part, I'm a dog lover and I'm excited to meet her little dachshund one day.

By the time we're all done, I feel like I just hung out with a couple of friends, rather than just my hair and makeup team. So I'm really grateful for their warm welcome and am glad they're whom I ended up getting.

"Alright girl, you're all done. Ready for the reveal?" Christina asks.

"Wait! Got to fix her hair here," Lauren says, hopping up from her chair and reaching for my hair and pulling it over my shoulders so that it frames my face a little better, "Alright, there you go gorgeous."

Christina spins my chair to face the mirror, a satisfied smile on her face.

When I take a look at myself in the mirror, I'm thankful that my 'makeover' didn't turn out to be as drastic as I had thought...I guess it just felt like it while being poked, prodded and worked on like a beauty pageant contestant, so I expected a huge change.

In the end, my hair looks a little darker and it's styled how it apparently will be in Harper's first scene, long and straight, but with some body. Lauren did her signature 'blowout', which apparently many celebrities pay for her to do.

As for my makeup, it's definitely heavier than usual, dark smoky eyes, lots of mascara, and a light hue of pink for my lipstick...but it's not so extreme that I don't look a bit like myself, I'll still be easily recognizable to those who know me.

"Wow, you're really good at this." I reply, smiling appreciatively, turning my head slightly to get a better look at my profile. "I'm really feeling more like Harper...thank you."

"Of course, that's what we're here for sweetie. You look great by the way." Lauren says.

"Yeah, but you're already beautiful, so you were easy to polish up," Christina adds, giving me an even bigger boost of confidence.

I chuckle again, shaking my head. I've never been great at taking compliments, I never know how to react and I tend to get awkward then. So I just change the subject.

"Well, I better get going. I have the read-through meeting in 20 minutes." I say, sounding a little more nervous than I expected.

"Alright, see you in a few days, alright?" Lauren asks, giving me a hug goodbye. Christina leans over and does the same.

"Good luck, and don't stress. You're going to do great!" Christina tells me, "If you start to get nervous, remember its just Tobias, okay? Just pretend like you're acting with him in your living room."

* * *

I make it to the meeting with 5 minutes to spare, and I seem to have beaten Tobias here. So while we wait for him, I greet and catch up with George, the producers, and everyone else here. A few minutes later, we hear the door open and turn to see him entering the room. He's looking at his cell phone, as handsome as ever, but I sense that he's slightly agitated. But, once he sees me, he stops and looks me over, taking me in and giving me a small smile. His posture seems to soften and I notice he lets out a long breath to calm himself.

"Hey, Tobias, you made it." George says, taking a seat at the large round table and gathering his papers. Everyone else begins to follow his lead and takes his or her seats.

Except for Tobias and I who remain standing for a moment longer. "Everything okay?" I ask him, not liking seeing him annoyed or upset.

"Yeah, just dealing with my publicist, but everything will be fine. Don't worry about it." He says, smiling a bit bigger at my question. Is he surprised that I'm concerned?

"Okay," I say, not entirely convinced. But knowing not to push it, especially right now.

I can feel him looking me up and down then, before he reaches beside me and pulls out my chair for me. "By the way, Harper, you look very nice." He adds, winking at me.

"Thanks," I say, taking the seat he offered, my cheeks tinting pink.

Once he's seated as well, everyone seems to seize their own little conversations and the attention is brought back to George, who opens proceedings by making a short speech outlining his aspirations for the project.

"Alright, now we're going to do a quick table-read with Tris...let's start from the top..."

And so we begin.

* * *

I've sat through table readings before, but of course never with such a big part or for such a large scale movie. So it's a little overwhelming, and I don't know if my palms have been sweatier. But now that we're several pages in, it feels like we're on a roll.

When I first read this script, I never thought I'd be reading Harper's lines, but here I am. I took a life-changing leap, and so far, I'm glad I did it.

I think about what a blessing this is as Tobias and I take a moment to chug some water before continuing our lines. But I'm pulled back to the script as the other hired actor, who I learned is named Jason, begins to read the non-dialogue parts of the script, such as scene headings and action.

 **A LITTLE RED CAR. A beat-to-shit Euro car. A shitty little red car angled in beside a dumpster with a big red Zurich parking ticket on the windshield.**

 **HARPER grabbing the ticket - tearing it up - tearing the shit out of it - blind with misfortune - throwing the pieces on the ground and stomping on the and then -**

 **HARPER**

 **(Looking up-)**

 **What are you looking at?**

 **FOUR standing across the car - on the passenger side -**

 **FOUR**

 **I need a ride.**

 **HARPER**

 **What?**

 **FOUR**

 **I need a ride out of here.**

 **HARPER**

 **Oh, geez...**

 **(backing away and-)**

 **FOUR**

 **Please. I don't want to scare you.**

 **HARPER**

 **It's a little late for that.**

 **FOUR**

 **I've got a situation here and-**

 **HAPRER**

 **Get the fuck away from my car.**

 **FOUR**

 **I'll give you ten thousand dollars to drive me to Paris.**

 **HARPER**

 **Great. You know what? I'll give you ten gazillion dollars to get the fuck away from me before I start screaming my head off.**

 **FOUR**

 **You don't want the police any more than I do.**

 **FOUR tosses cash - a stack of hundreds - across the car into her hands - she catches it. Looks at it.**

 **HARPER**

 **Uh...**

 **FOUR**

 **Get me out of here. Please.**

 **HARPER looking at him. At the money. Back at him, and -**

* * *

After we're done, everyone applauds, although I feel Jeanine watching us with a curious look on her face. I notice she even leans in and whispers something in David's ear.

"Well done, Tris." Tori comes over to tell me, then looks me over again, "And like I said, you look great. You're really going to bring life to this part."

"Thanks," I reply appreciatively, and then turn and smile kindly at Jason as he approaches.

"Hey Tris, great job. I can't wait to see you on the big screen." he says, coming up and patting my shoulder. I notice Tori leave and turn to speak to George, leaving just he and I.

"Thanks," I say, happy to hear more people giving me positive feedback. Not so bad for my first time, hmm?

"You're already a natural, but if you ever want any acting advice or personal lessons or anything, I could give you my number..." Jason flirts.

"I..." I begin, not knowing what to say, but finding that offer a little odd. I don't really want to exchange numbers with him.

"Maybe we could go to dinner? We can talk about your role and what is expected of you?" He adds. His offer leaves me very uncomfortable and unsure how to excuse myself from his presence. I don't have to wait long as Tobias appears at my side, having apparently finished talking with Jeanine. I feel his arm wind around my waist. His hand settles on my hip, his fingers splaying outward. I feel the electricity shoot through me as usual, my senses heightened by his proximity to me. He nods to Jason in a kind gesture, acting like he's oblivious to his interruption, before looking to me. Not that I mind. "You ready to go?" Tobias asks me, and yet again, I don't exactly know what to say. Did we have plans? I didn't think so...

Is he just trying to help bail me out here? Or is he getting over-protective? Either way, when I simply think about his question, I really do know the answer. Of course.

"Yeah, I'm ready." I reply with a smile, then I look back at Jason, "Hey, I've got to get going, but I'm sure I'll see you around."

I don't specifically acknowledge his offer of dinner or of his number nor do I wait for a reply, I just give him a polite smile and grab my bag before heading to the door. Tobias hasn't left my side, and a part of me feels a thrill at the boyfriend vibes I'm getting from him, even though I know that's not what he is.

When we're outside, he walks me to my car in the private lot, and I see he's parked just a few spaces down from me. When I'm at my driver's side door, I turn to face him, and he steps forward, bringing his body closer to mine as he looks down at me.

"What was that all about back there? With Jason?" I ask with a small smile.

A low growl comes from himself he frowns as he slides his arms around my waist, but I sense he's a little ashamed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be such a caveman. I just didn't like to see him flirting with you."

"Excuse me?" I let out a small laugh, "He was not. He was just offering to help-"

"He was flirting, Tris. I saw the way he was watching you these past couple hours." he gives in and chuckles, but then licks his lower lip, and looks at me like he'll close the distance between us at any moment. My breath hitches in my throat as his fingers flit up my spine and he leans his body against mine, gently trapping me between him and the car. "But I want you all to myself, so I don't want him getting in the way of my chances of that."

My heart soars at his words and I wonder why he actually thinks that I'd be interested in Jason over him. "Trust me, you have no competition."

"Really?" He asks, a hopeful smile on his face looking adorably endearing. I go to lean up and kiss him, but think better of it. What ever happened with the contract?

"Am I allowed to kiss you?" I ask, unsure.

He grins then, before leaning in and closing the distance. He kisses me and immediately I respond, easily matching his enthusiasm. It becomes hungrier and more heated, but not rushed… A pace that stokes the fire within me to a blaze, something that is beautifully overwhelming in its intensity.

Between the kisses, the sunshine outside, and the affection I have for him, I feel relaxed and emboldened. No longer weighed down by my previous fears and insecurities. I know that Tobias wants me and it has become all too apparent that I want him just as much.

When we break apart for air, I realize my hands are framing his face and I rub my thumbs over his jaw, over the light brown stubble that's shown up from lack of shaving these past few days.

"They revised the contract, so there are no more limitations on actor's personal relationships. However, they only agreed to do that if all parties keep said relationships private and out of the spotlight, so that it doesn't affect ratings. Especially considering all the pity Nita is getting for her injury and forced resignation. So, yeah, hypothetically...the 'couple' would have to keep it a secret, but could at least be together."

"I see, well that's not all that bad. Considering a lot of people prefer to keep their private lives out of the spotlight anyway..."

"Very true." he says with a smile, pulling me into him, his arms wrapped fully around me in a bear hug. "I'm glad this is a private parking lot, so that I can do this." He glances both ways to make sure no actors or producers or whoever might be nearby, just in case. Then he smiles before pressing his lips softly to mine again. When he pulls away, I love seeing the happiness in his eyes. I'm sure it reflects mine.

"Do you really have plans?"

"No. Well, yeah, kind of...we fly out in two days and I haven't packed yet."

"I could help."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we could order some Chinese takeout, I could help remind you what you need to pack. After all, I'm more familiar with European travel, so you could use a tour guide. Why not start with the packing?" he encourages with a goofy smile. But then he's looking at me cautiously, "Unless I'm coming on too hard too quick?"

"No, not at all, I'd tell you if I was uncomfortable."

"Good." he kisses the tip my nose, and the gesture is so sweet that I know I've officially soaked the little thong I'm wearing beneath this dress.

"So I can come over?"

"As long as you're sure that doesn't sound totally boring," I say with a chuckle. "You don't have to follow through with hanging out with me just because you insinuated to Jason that you would."

"But I want to."

I smile at his words, "Do you prefer the best kung pao chicken? Or the best egg rolls and fried rice? I have two favorite places nearby."

"You know we have to get both now?" he says, smiling widely. He gives my purse a shake, "give them a call, and order anything you think we'd like." He pulls his wallet out and grabs several twenties out, "I'll buy."

"No, I'm buying tonight. You're always paying."

"Not really..." he comments and I give him a look. He just shrugs and seems unsure of what to say. "Please? I like to treat you."

"It's my turn. You can get us next time." I say, determined to not be one of those girls. He seems to relent and looks at me with a smirk.

"Fine," he says, a sexy grin on his face, holding his hands up in surrender. "But only because you're so sexy when you're stubborn."


	10. Chapter 10

**"Role of a Lifetime" (RATED M/MA)**

* * *

 **Chapter 10 (TOBIAS' POV)**

* * *

 **Reminder/Disclaimer:**

 **I do not own the rights to Divergent or its characters. This is just my fanfic.**

* * *

Tris and I pick up some Chinese take-out on our way to her house. She lets us in through the front door and I follow in behind carrying the two bags of delicious smelling food. But I can't help that my focus is on how well that dress hugs her backside. Fuck...look at her...

I watch as she hangs her purse on the hook by the door, and kicks offer her shoes, before making her way towards the kitchen. I kick off my own shoes and again follow her, setting the bags on the kitchen counter and wasting no time opening them up.

"Hungry?" she asks, amused at my impatience.

You have no idea sweetheart…

"Starving, actually." I smirk, although the double meaning thankfully goes right over her head as she grabs a couple of plates and I grab the chopsticks. She then grabs a couple of chilled beers from her fridge, offering me one of them.

"Thanks," I say, pulling out an egg roll and taking a bite. I momentarily regret it as it begins to burn my mouth and tongue, but I manage to suck in enough air to cool it down and enjoy the bite and get it swallowed down. I follow that up with a swig of my beer to cool down my mouth and throat.

The soft melody of her laugh has me looking to my left, where she's scooping some fried rice onto her plate. "You're welcome."

"Are you laughing at me?" I tease, not realizing I'm reaching in to tickle her side before my hand is already there doing it. The action causes her to spill a little on the counter, but hearing that laugh of hers yet again is worth the mess in my opinion.

"Tobias!" she scolds with a laugh, giving me a playful shove, "You almost made me spill the whole container, and then you wouldn't have been able to have any."

"It's a good thing you have ninja like reflexes." I remind her with a grin, but helping her to clean up the small spill nonetheless. "Why are you laughing at me anyway?" I ask, biting into the steaming hot egg roll again, this time having had dipped it in the sweet chili sauce.

"Because you always burn your mouth on your food. You're an impatient eater." she sits down at one of the bar stools, looking at me with that amused smile again.

"Impatient? Me?" I laugh, sitting down beside her and passing her one of the other containers.

"Whenever your food is in front of you, you just go for it. You never stop to blow on it to cool it off or anything! So I knew you'd burn your mouth, that's why I had handed you the beer right then."

I bark out a laugh then, she's totally right, but I banter back anyway, loving that we can be like this. "Maybe I like my food extra hot."

"Oh shut up, try this." she says, pulling an egg roll out of the white carton. I watch intently as she brings it up closer to her soft pink lips, which she's puckering as she blows softly on the hot fried food that still has steam visibly wafting from it.

I swear I feel my dick begin to harden at the sight, and I wonder if it's inappropriate to try and kiss her again this evening. Fuck, do I love kissing her...that mouth is perfection...

After she determines it is cooled down enough, she holds the egg roll up to my mouth to feed me a bite. "See? Not so difficult, try it. Still hot and delicious, but not scorching your taste buds."

My smile reflects hers and I lean in the rest of the way to take the proffered bite. She holds her other hand underneath to catch any crumbs, watching me as I chew, seemingly entrapped by the moment just as I am.

We hold each other's eye contact until I've swallowed the bite. I nod, making a silly comment even though we both know like she said, it's not that I don't know how to blow on my own food; I'm just an impatient eater. "You've got the technique."

She laughs, "You're ridiculous."

"You love it." I smirk and take a heaping bite of rice. Damn, this is good too.

She seems to blush slightly, but covers it well as she leans in for another bite.

"You're pretty irresistible."

I find myself grinning at that, not caring how sarcastic she tried to make it sound. I see that sweet little teasing smile gracing her face.

We continue to eat, talking and laughing between bites. We end up sitting there on her kitchen bar stools for over an hour, until Tris mentions she can't sit here anymore. "Alright, my butt is starting to get numb." she says, standing and stretching. "Shall we pack?"

"Good idea."

I help her clean up the mess and we put the few dishes we use in the dishwasher. It all feels a bit domestic, but I actually enjoy it.

When we're done, she leads me to the hall closet, and looks up to the top shelf.

"Okay, so it's a good thing I had you come help, I don't even remember how I got that up there." she chuckles, looking at the large suitcase shoved up there in the tight space.

I reach up and after some shifting and maneuvering; I manage to get it down.

"Awesome, thank you. I normally don't use this one, but it's much bigger, and we'll be gone for so long, I figure I'll need the space." she explains, "Here, let's bring it into my room."

''Yeah, this is about the size of mine."

I set it on her bed, unzipping it for her so that it's open and ready to start filling up, before taking a seat beside it.

"You don't actually have to do anything...you're welcome to turn on the TV or some music."

"Well, I'll do that too, but I don't mind helping, just tell me what to do."

She tosses me two remotes, which after looking at them I determine one is for her TV and the other for her iHome stereo. Although I couldn't help but notice her huge CD collection in the other room too. I smile to myself, thinking about how much she loves music.

As I turn on the stereo and hit play on whatever was playing last. I don't recognize it, but I like it. Meanwhile, Tris is pulling jeans and pants from dresser drawers and stacking them on the bed.

"Should I bring clothes for all weather types?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I mean, we should expect some pretty good weather this time of year, but bring some cold weather things too just in case. And some bathing suits, we're definitely going swimming."

She gives me an adorable smirk, and turns back to her dresser.

"Who is this playing?" I ask, trying not to ogle as she bends over to her bottom drawer and pulls out a few bathing suits, tossing them on the bed as well.

"Metric."

"I haven't heard of them, I like it."

She continues to pack as we talk, and I watch as she tries on a few hats to see which is worth bringing, and when she adorably scrunches her nose upon having no luck finding sunscreen to bring.

When she begins packing her toiletries in the bathroom, I find myself reclining back against the headboard of her bed. But as she comes back and begins packing shoes and accessories, I move to a laying position on my side, my elbow on the bed with my hand propping up my head.

Not long after, she comes and sits on the other side of the bed, but up towards the pillows since the suitcase is in the way of the lower half. "Done."

"Really? Already?"

She chuckles, "Already? It's almost 11pm."

"Most girls would be up until midnight or later, stressing out over silly stuff," I smile.

"I'm not as picky as a lot of girls. And I try not to keep stuff in my closet I don't like to wear, so it makes it easy to pack." She shrugs.

I notice that she's sitting on what looks like 'her' side of the bed. The nightstand on her side has her phone and her alarm clock, as well as a pair of black-framed reading glasses sitting on top of a book.

I didn't know she wore glasses...fuck, I bet she's sexy wearing them. Of course she would be, she's gorgeous every time I see her. Look at her right now, how she's all curled up at the top of her bed...she's so flexible...

Back on track Tobias! Packing!

"Are you bringing your laptop and stuff? If so, don't forget chargers too."

"Yeah, I've already got those packed in my carry-on bag. I got it started already, but figured I'll finish it tomorrow morning. Shouldn't be too bad. Just adding things to it as I think of them." She continues.

We end up sitting and talking for a while longer, about a variety of things. I don't mean to keep her up so late, or overstay my welcome, but time flies when I'm laughing and having fun with her. And before I know it, her clock shows it's almost 12:30pm.

As she tells me about her biggest family vacation, a week in Montana visiting Yellowstone, I see how her eyes light up and how she looks so reminiscent and happy. Then I notice she's looking at me curiously, but offers me that shy smile anyway.

I've been caught staring at her.

"Sorry, I can't help it." I admit, smiling, but also feeling a slight tint to my cheeks and neck.

She smiles, bites that delectable bottom lip, before looking down at her lap bashfully.

When she looks back up at me, her big beautiful eyes look into my own, before swallowing and getting out what she wants to say.

"It's getting late, you can stay here if you want."

"Yeah?" I ask, and I realize our hands have migrated together, playing with each other's fingers.

She nods and yawns, causing me to as well.

"You um, you could even stay in here if you want...I mean, not like, ya know, to do that..." She gestures between the two of us with her cheeks tinting even redder as she tries to avoid saying the word sex, "but well, just sleeping...or cuddling, or whatever. This bed's just much more comfortable than the guest bedroom... but wherever you're more comfortable is cool." She says. She looks a little nervous though, so I immediately try and soothe her worry.

"That sounds wonderful," I say and I immediately see the relief wash over her face, "Another first...just for us. Right?"

"Yeah..." She whispers with a smile, "but we should probably still have a goodnight kiss." She adds before leaning over to give me just that.

Her lips meet mine expertly, and her tongue even comes out to play. But the angle from where she's at has her leaning awkwardly, so she ends up crawling over, causing me to lie onto my back so she can straddle me.

Just like I discovered after kissing her, having her in this position is better than I could have imagined. Feeling her long slender legs straddling my waist, her hands on either side of my head... I have one hand cradling her cheek out of habit, but the other dares to take purchase on her hip. New territory.

She doesn't seat herself fully on my lap, but that's probably a good thing, considering the hard-on I'm starting to sport by the feel of her soft lips against mine. It doesn't help that it's making me wonder what her other pair of soft lips might be like...but I know that's for another day. If I'm lucky.

So as much as I don't want to, I reluctantly pull my mouth from hers before things get out of hand. But I can't help but pepper a few more kisses along her cheek and neck. Fuck...her neck... I didn't think I'd enjoy kissing one so much...and she smells so good...

I end up drawing a little sexy mewl from her as I suck on a particular spot and I smile against her skin, making a mental note of this particular spot. I definitely want to be paying close attention to what she seems to like.

My hand roams from her cheek and into her hair, while the other gives her hip a squeeze, my body instinctively moving up slightly with the rhythm of our kiss, causing our lower halves to press together briefly. I growl in pleasure at the pressure of her against me, and it brings me to my senses.

I reluctantly pull away, and she sits up. We look at each other, both breathing heavily, seemingly hesitant, yet so excited for more of that one day.

"We should probably stop there for now." I suggest, reaching up to tuck a loose piece or hair behind her ear. She looks 'so fucking gorgeous sitting on top of me like this'.

"I do?" She asks as she gets up, a small smirk on her face.

I hadn't realized I said that out loud, but she deserves to hear it. It's the truth.

I grin at her, "Yes."

I get up then, making sure her suitcase is securely zipped before I pull it off the bed for her and set it in the corner out of the way. She pulls down the covers of the bed and offers to let me use the bathroom or anything else I'd like, as she goes to get ready for bed herself.

Having still kept the spare toothbrush she gave me last time in the guest bathroom medicine cabinet, I decide to go in there and get cleaned up, and calmed down, before I head back into her bedroom.

When I do, she's just coming from her bathroom, dressed in a T-shirt and these little striped shorts, and her make-up freshly washed off. She looks perfect.

She smiles shyly at me, and begins apologizing about her state. "Sorry, had to scrub that pound of makeup off. I can't sleep like that." She explains, referring to her 'Harper' makeup she was wearing.

"I don't blame you, I've been there." I say and she lets out a light laugh as she makes her way over to the bed.

"Besides, I like that I have Tris back, instead of this Harper girl." I smile at her, while then realizing how often I tend to smile when I'm around her.

She's now tucked under the covers of her bed, although I remain standing there for a moment still clothed. My adam's apple bobbing as I swallow heavily, looking at her sitting up in bed waiting for me...it's a sight I could look at forever, although a part of me is kind of nervous.

I really don't want to screw this up. Everything with her is so much more significant than it has been with any other girl I've been with. I don't know why exactly, but I may as well acknowledge it.

So rather than just stripping down and hopping in, I decide to be a gentleman and just ask.

"Do you uh, do you mind if I take my pants off?" I ask and her lips part briefly as if surprised, so I try to reassure her, "I'm wearing boxer-briefs."

She shakes her head, as if coming out of her stupor, then smiles and blushes adorably, "Of course not, you shouldn't have to sleep in your jeans."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, sorry," she chuckles softly, "I just never expected Tobias Eaton to ask me that before, I was a little caught off guard hearing you say it."

With that, I unsnap the button of my Levi's and drop them to the floor. I set them aside and climb in bed beside her. "I don't want to say it to anyone else."

I hear her intake of breath at that, and settle in, taking in the feeling of this and not wanting to forget it. Between the soft pillow-top mattress, the nice Tris-smelling sheets, and cozy feel of her presence beside me, I feel like I'm already in heaven. This just might be the best night's sleep I'll have had yet.

She leans up and clicks off her bedside light, leaving us in almost complete darkness, save for the nightlight in the bathroom which is emitting the faintest of hues in there. Then I feel her turn towards me and kiss my shoulder through the sleeve of my t-shirt.

"You can take your t-shirt off too if you prefer, if you'll be too hot or whatever."

I can't help but grin at her even though she probably can't see me since our eyes haven't adjusted well to the darkness yet; but nonetheless I sit up and remove my t-shirt, happy she brought it up. I much prefer to sleep without a shirt, but I didn't want to push too much. "You trying to get me undressed?" I tease, tossing the shirt on the floor.

"Oh, shush," she says with a small laugh. "I happened to notice you slept without your shirt last time you stayed over, so I assumed that's what you prefer."

"Good observation." I smirk, also remembering the look on her face when she noticed my shorts on the floor as well.

I felt kind of bad going commando in her guest bed... but it was either that, or wear my wet board shorts.

But I don't mention any of that. Instead, I lie back down and put my arm out, inviting her to lay on my chest if she wants. She immediately takes me up on the offer and snuggles up closer, resting her cheek on my chest and her delicate hand on my sternum.

I hold her close, kissing the top of her head, before whispering something on a more serious note before we fall asleep, "Thank you for inviting me to stay. I'm really glad I'm here."

"Me too." she whispers back, lifting her tired eyes to look at me with a sweet smile.

Then I watch the sleeping beauty's heavy eyelids fall slowly shut and her breathing begins to even out, her soft exhales tickling my chest. I love it, and wouldn't dare move her. Instead, I let her be. I lay in contentment, holding her close to my heart. Right where she belongs.

"Goodnight, baby." I whisper, before closing my own eyes and letting slumber take over.

* * *

 ** _2 days later..._**

I've been waiting in the airport lounge for a while now, tucked in the corner at a little table by the window. I decide to check my email on my iPhone, before yet again checking to see if I have any texts from Tris.

They had coordinated for us to each get a car service to pick us up from our houses and take us to the airport. Mine went smoothly and I got here with plenty of time to spare. Even being greeted curbside, and given an escort to go through security with me, before being personally checked in and shown to the lounge where I am to hang out until boarding time. However, what's taking Tris so long? She's usually so punctual, it just seems so unlike her...

We had messaged back and forth briefly earlier, saying good morning and summarizing our plans. But then we both had stuff to do, and she was meeting up with her dad in the morning, and her friend Susan in the afternoon, so I wanted to give them some time alone.

What worries me though, is that it's almost 6pm and I haven't heard back since. I hope she's here soon; I really don't want her to miss the flight. And, well, I really want to make sure she's okay. The thought of her having transportation trouble, or whatever problems might be occurring to cause her to be late, makes me more worried than I'd like to admit. But, I guess that's expected...I care for her a lot.

I sigh and grab the small stack of cardboard drink coasters on the table, stacking a few of them in a small pyramid, trying to distract myself and calm my anxious, jittering feet.

Finally, she responds to my text from about twenty minutes ago, where I had been asking for an update.

 _Tris: Sorry, it's been a crazy...finally just got here to LAX though!_

I reply immediately.

 _Tobias: Everything okay? They brought me up to the lounge to wait. I saved you a seat._

 _Tris: Yeah, I'm good now. Just got my bag checked. In security line now._

 _Tobias: How big is the line? They just announced ten minutes until boarding. But I'll try and get them to delay if needed._

 _Tris: lol, don't get yourself in trouble._

 _Tobias: Will try not to. But if I do, you're worth it._

Just as expected, ten minutes later, they make the final announcement and open the door from the first class lounge, allowing us to board the plane. But I hang back; slowly cleaning up the stuff I had pulled out of my backpack, not wanting to board without her. Hopefully I can stretch this out a bit longer.

 _Tobias: ETA? They're boarding..._

 _Tris: Done wit secrity- runing to the gate niw!'_

By her seemingly rushed text, I assume she's probably physically running, so I try to remain calm and patient.

I'm the last one left in the lounge, so I throw my backpack over my shoulder, and walk slowly towards the trashcan to throw away my empty cup, still trying to buy some time for Tris to get here.

It's not until I'm done tying my shoelaces, and then 'looking' for something in my bag, does the airline escort finally approach me. "Are you ready to board sir? Final call."

"I'm actually waiting for someone, she's already past security, so should be here any second."

"I apologize Sir, but we must insist you yourself board the plane if you wish to make the flight yourself."

Just as I'm about to reply to the girl with what I'm sure would have been a snarky remark, my phone buzzes in my hand, so I read the text immediately.

 _Tris: Just made it! They let me in. I'm officially on the plane. :)_

"Oh, I guess she just boarded the plane. So yeah, I'm ready now." I tell the escort, who smiles kindly at me and begins to lead the way down the long corridor and through the metal doorway onto the plane.

"Would you like me to place your bag in the overhead compartment for you?" she asks.

"No thanks, I'll put it under my seat if needed." I tell her, sitting down in the cushiony first-class seat. But the seat beside mine is empty, although the rest of the seats appear to be full. Where's Tris? Is she in the bathroom?

After waiting a few minutes, I decide to just send her another quick text; hopefully she didn't turn her phone off yet or anything.

 _Tobias: Where are you? I'm on board now too._

 _Tris: Seat G17_

 _Tobias: Wait, you're in coach? But they paid for us to take first class!_

 _Tris: Yeah, for the actors... I was just a stunt double back then though, remember? :)_

 _Tris: It's really not bad though, don't stress, lol._

 _Tobias: That's stupid. You replaced Nita, you should get her seat! It's probably this empty seat right next to me!_

 _Tris: They said they couldn't reassign it to me, and the rest of the flight is sold out._

 _Tris: At least I made it on the flight with my original ticket! Otherwise I would have had to fly out tomorrow._

 _Tobias: I'm glad you did too. But that's a bunch of BS about switching, you should be able to take this seat. I'm going to ask, just in case._

The flight attendant handing out bottled water comes over and extends one out to me. I try asking her about Tris, but she just turns me down, saying nobody's allowed in first class that didn't purchase a ticket under their name. Then she offers me a flirty smile and reminds me to call for her if I need anything else. I ignore her and decide to try the other lady who is up grabbing something from one of the closets not far from my seat, as she seems a little more mature and appears as though she may have slightly more authority.

"Excuse me, I had quick question."

"Of course, how can I help you?" she replies kindly.

"I have a friend that's in coach, but my other friend here in first-class," I say pointing to the empty seat next to mine, "...couldn't make it. So I was wondering..."

"I'm sorry Mr. Eaton, everyone must stay in their assigned seats."

Mr. Eaton? Okay, so she knows who I am then...maybe I'll just be a bit more honest of the situation, if she knows Tris is an actress in my film, maybe she'll be more understanding...

"Well, you see, Kathy," I say, glancing at her nametag, before offering her a sad smile, "Tris is my co-star. We're on this long flight to go shoot this movie together, and this is her first big role... this is all so new to her. I know she'd be so much more comfortable up here with me, especially considering her fear of flying. And this seats not even being used. So I don't see why it's a big deal, especially considering both seats are paid for. Is there anything you can do?"

She sighs, but offers me a motherly looking smile, and I find myself feeling even more hopeful. "Please?" I add, hoping that'll help.

"Unfortunately no exceptions can be made...at least not during takeoff or landing." she says, whispering the last bit to me. "But I'll tell you what, once we're up in the air and the seatbelt sign goes off, she can come up here to visit with you for a while."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it." I say, truly grateful for having someone kind hearted working on this flight.

She pats my shoulder and gives me a nod. "What seat is she in?"

"G17. Her name is Tris."

"Alright, I'll send her up in a bit."

I smile and give her a friendly smile, but another idea occurs to me.

"I don't suppose I could switch her seats until then? So she at least got to sit up here? We haven't even moved yet-"

"I apologize Sir, during takeoff and landing, you must be securely buckled in your assigned seats. But I'm sure she would have appreciated the thoughtful gesture."

"Okay, well thank you again." I agree, not wanting to become a further nuisance. I'm not usually one to ask for special treatment or use my celebrity status to get my way, but I really don't want Tris to be cramped back there with a ton of other people for almost 12 hours, when she could be tucked up here with me.

"Of course Sir, let me know if you need anything else at all." she says before moving on to check on the person behind me.

I quickly text Tris back.

 _Tobias: Well, they won't let you come up here yet. But when the seatbelt light goes off, Kathy will be escorting you up here for a while._

 _Tobias: I'm sorry. I'd switch you until then, but they won't let me._

Even though I know it's not my fault she didn't get Nita's seat, I still feel bad. And I know she can take care of herself just fine, but I'm finding myself feeling very protective of her, and I don't want her to be uncomfortable if there are any weirdo's back there. What if someone recognizes her and starts berating her with questions? Just this morning, according to my publicist, word had gotten out about who she is and her accepting the role to replace Nita.

So my mind is unfortunately conjuring up some ridiculous scenarios. But I know I shouldn't be thinking like that. So I grab out my ear buds to try and distract myself, but I don't hit play on my phone until I read her incoming text.

 _Tris: Don't be silly! I'm totally fine back here. Thank you for talking them into letting me come up there in a bit. I'll see you soon. :)_

 _Tobias: Looking forward to it. :)_

The safety video begins to play on the screens in front of us, also informing us that we need to put our electronic devices on airplane mode. So I reluctantly do as I'm told and pop in my ear buds, but I keep the volume low for now, so that I can hear any important announcements. I've listened to several songs on my playlist, when the captain finally comes on the overhead speaker and makes his next announcement.

"Flight attendants, prepare for take-off please."

"Cabin crew, please take your seats for take-off. Passengers, please confirm that your safety belts are secure."

I feel the unease in my belly as we begin to throttle forward, hurtling forward in this giant metal contraption at a speed fast enough to somehow safely take flight. I've been able to overcome my fear of flying, having had to do it so much for work, but taking-off and landing still makes me a little uneasy...not to mention my slight claustrophobia. So I do what I always do, distract myself with happy thoughts. Which means this time, I immediately think of Tris.

I picture her smile, and the way she looks at me...the way her eyes light up when she laughs, and how she sometimes does that cute little snort that she always blushes about after.

I wonder if she's afraid of flying...I doubt it, considering her endorphin filled lifestyle. But maybe I'm wrong. Everyone has fears. So I say a silent little prayer that she isn't uncomfortable or afraid right now, for any reason.

I sigh as I think about even just being able to hold her hand, to be in her presence...geez, am I that enamored with her?

Once we're off the ground and ascending upward into the sky, I chance a look out the window and admire the view. It's something I've been teaching myself to do over the years, despite the frightening height, and how small and cramped I often end up feeling up here. Again, I just focus on the positive... the beauty of the landscape and the city below.

Eventually, we make it to proper altitude and the seatbelt light goes off, much to my appreciation. I look over my shoulder to see Kathy walking by. When she catches my eye, and probably the hopeful expression on my face, she gives me a playful eye roll and smile.

"Right this second?" She sighs, her teasing demeanor evident in her tone.

I just grin and nod.

"Are we allowed to tip? I totally will."

She chuckles, "No, don't be silly young man. That's against company policy, but thank you for the gesture." She smiles, leans down to whisper conspiratorially, "Maybe later I can just bother you for a selfie and an autograph for my niece?"

"Absolutely, of course." I whisper back in agreement.

"Sit tight, I'll go get your girl." Is all she says, giving me a wink and a pat on the shoulder before standing and walking away. I look over my shoulder and watch as she heads through the privacy curtain. I have a warm tingly feeling at the mention of Kathy referring to Tris as 'my girl'.

I feel anxious as I wait, looking forward to finally feeling like I can relax a bit once she's finally seated beside me.

"Something to drink, Sir?" I'm asked from my right.

I look up to see the other blonde flight attendant, with the bright red lipstick. She smiles widely, holding up a can of Coca-Cola and shaking a small bottle of Jack Daniels as a suggestion, although she's got a whole assortment of things to pick from on her tray.

"Sure, make it two Jack and Coke's." I decide. It's dinnertime after all, and we have a very long flight ahead of us. We may as well share a few complimentary drinks.

She grins and pours me two. "Let me know when you need a refill." she says softly.

"Thank you."

Still, she lingers there, and I notice her index finger start to rub the top of the JD bottle. Whether she's doing it consciously or not, it feels like a flirty gesture, especially since she goes on to ask me a personal question, even though she's done pouring my drinks, "Have any exciting plans once you land in Zurich?"

"Work, maybe a little sight-seeing." I offer as a simple response, glancing back over my shoulder to watch for Tris, just in time too...as she's being ushered up here by Kathy and over to the seat beside me. Our eyes meet and I smile happily, excited to see her.

"There you are, finally." I say, itching to hug or kiss her hello, but withholding temptation in front of everyone.

"Hi." she says with a timid smile before taking a seat. She sets her overnight bag at her feet, shoving her phone into it, before she looks up again. But I notice she's looking past my shoulder, and I look up to see the blonde flight attendant is still standing there. I don't say anything to her, and instead, I hand Tris one of the drinks, "Here, I got one for you too." I tell her.

"Nice, thanks."

"Excuse me ma'am, but you can't be up here." The blonde girl informs Tris from behind me, but in her condescending 'professional' tone of voice.

"Actually Taylor, I double checked, their party paid for both seats, so she's been cleared to stay," Kathy chimes in from behind Tris.

"But-" the girl begins, only to be interrupted by Kathy again.

"I believe Doctor Lee would like a beverage now too?" Kathy adds, gesturing to the man in the seat by the window.

Taylor gives a bit of a forced smile, "Yes, ma'am."

Once she turns away, Kathy asks if we need anything else. When we tell her we're good. She offers us a wink and turns to tend to the next passenger.

Tris and I share an amused smile. "Having fun up here?" she asks.

"Now I am."

"You alright? You've been running your hand through your hair." she comments, reaching up to run her fingers through it slightly to try and fix it with a teasing smile.

She knows I do that when I'm stressed or impatient, but she often seems to get that same teasing smile, so I wonder if she thinks it's cute. Truth is, I don't even realize I'm doing it. But whatever makes her smile is fine with me.

"Yeah, well..." I chuckle. "I was pretty anxious to make sure you got here okay, and then with you being back there by yourself..."

"You're silly."

"So are you."

"Touché," she chuckles, inspecting her seated area and all the little outlets and compartments surrounding it. "I've actually never been up here before," she says then, looking around to fully take in her surroundings. "Fancy."

"The extra privacy is especially nice. But the space and definitely free booze are nice too."

"I'm liking these reclining seats," she says, referring to the seats that practically lay back into beds, which is extra appealing considering this is an overnight flight. We won't be arriving to Zurich for another 11 hours or so, and then we still have to fly to Prague from there.

"I know, I've definitely slept on worse." I agree, but then I see that nobody is around, so I take a brief opportunity to show a little affection, "I've missed you," I admit, reaching over discreetly to make contact with her hand. She smiles, playing with my fingers back.

"Me too. I'm glad I made it on the same flight."

"Yeah, is everything okay? What happened? Last I heard, you were all ready to go and just killing time with Susan until you had to leave."

"We were, but then my driver never showed up. So we figured it was quicker to just have Susan take me. But then she got a flat tire on the freeway." She explains, my eyes widening in concern as she continues, "Thankfully we were in traffic, so we were only going about 30 miles per hour, but still, what a headache getting over three lanes like that in rush hour traffic, especially in LA."

"What did you do? How'd you get to the airport?"

"She called AAA, while I hailed a cab from the side of the 405." She chuckles.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah," she laughs, making me smile too. I love hearing her laugh. "Like I said, traffic was moving slowly and our friend Monica happened to drive by, so she stopped to help. As we waited, I saw a cab coming by slowly in the closest lane, so with Susan safely waiting for the tow truck with Monica, I took my chance."

"She didn't just try and put on a spare?"

"That's what I suggested, but apparently she didn't have one. Or rather, that was her spare."

"Well, I'm glad that worked out. And that the cab got you here on time."

"Yeah, I made pretty good time after that. But I had to get my bag checked and stuff, which seemed to take forever. I'm still surprised I made it through security and to the gate so quick, it was probably Guinness World Record status." She chuckles.

"And here I was in the lounge making a fool of myself as I attempted to stall and wait for you." I chuckle too, but then I sigh and pull out my phone to send a quick email to Tori and few others, wanting to make sure they do what they can to not let this happen again. "Hopefully they'll get this better straightened out for the future flights and travels. I'll talk to Tori."

"Yeah, well, let's not stress about that right now. Want to watch some Netflix?" She suggests.

"Sure, I got a headphone jack splitter so that we can both watch at the same time."

"Awesome, very thoughtful of you." she says, sipping her jack and coke.

"I love that so many of these planes have Wi-Fi now..." I say, flipping open the MacBook and pressing the power on. "Any shows you've been wanting to watch that we should marathon?"

"Hmm...I've heard Blacklist is good?"

"Yeah, I've heard the same. Good idea."

After about an hour in, Kathy comes by to see if and when we would like our food.

We decide to get it now rather than eating any later, but don't bother stopping our TV show. Instead, we leave the laptop propped up between us on the little half-wall that separates our seats, each with a pair of headphones so as not to disturb the other passengers.

Once we've enjoyed our salads and lasagna, we thank her again and turn off the overhead light so we can settle in more for the night as we continue to watch more James Spader.

By 11pm, most people have their lights off and their partitions closed for the night. Tris yawns once, but seems entranced by the show, seemingly not wanting to stop anytime soon, which is fine by me. I just wish we could be closer... we can't really even comfortably hold hands from here if we wanted, at least not without sitting forward. Not that I should be even considering this anyway considering we're out in public...but most people seem to be asleep by now, or if not, at least have their partitions closed and are minding their own business.

By 11:30, she's kicked off her shoes and is snuggled up under her blanket, but she still seems cold. So while the intro for the next episode plays, I lean forward to get her attention. She pulls out an earbud to hear me. I whisper, "You uh...you can sit with me over here if you want. Might be more cozy…and warm."

She bites her lip, holding back a smile, and looks around as of checking to make sure nobody's paying attention. Once she deems the coast is clear, she gets up and scurries around to my side, where I've got my seat reclined and I pat the space beside me.

She sits at my side on the seat, and I wrap my arms around her as she pulls the blanket over us. She's resting her head on my chest as her arm wraps around my waist under the blanket.

"Is this okay?" I ask, and she nods, snuggling into me a little deeper. I inhale the scent of her hair, before nuzzling my nose in her neck and giving her a quick kiss there.

"It's ballsy, considering the agreement we just made with our contract, but I'm really not caring right now." she replies softly, turning her head to look at me, "I think we might even have enough privacy for a quick one of these..." With that, she leans up and softly presses her lips to mine, in a slow but modest kiss.

When we pull back, we both let out a contented sigh and continue watching the show.

But by midnight, she's fallen asleep in my arms, her head resting on my chest. I don't move her, not wanting to disturb her sleep. Instead, I close the laptop, tuck it in my bag, and adjust my pillow to lay back a little better, happy to be lucky enough to have her fall asleep in my arms at least two times now. I just hope I have as much favor in the future. Now that I've had a taste of what my life would be like with her being a part of it, I don't think I can go back. The truth is, I don't want to.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm so baffled by the response this story is getting, it's very motivating and exciting! Please understand, even though I don't really have time to reply to my reviews, they are greatly appreciated! So please don't think they go unnoticed. Also, feel free to keep them coming...I'd love to know what you thought of Tobias' POV! I always find it fun, but also difficult to to write his perspective since I'm not a guy!** **Last but not least, I want to say how thankful I am for my beta's help- you're so sweet and helpful!**

 **:-)**

 **Until next time,**

 **Madison**

 **(Pinterest: madisonrose1129)**


	11. Chapter 11

**"Role of a Lifetime"**

 ***RATED M/MA**

* * *

 **Reminder/Disclaimer:** **I do not own the rights to Divergent or its characters. This is just my fanfic.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11 (TRIS' POV)**

* * *

I wake up to the sound of someone's phone beeping, like they set an alarm to deliberately get up at this hour. Even though the passenger seems to be a couple of seats away, it's still loud enough to keep me from my sleep.

But besides that, I am quite happy to be waking up where I am. Tobias' chest is far better than any pillow or mattress I've ever slept on, and I've come to find his embrace beyond comforting.

I was expectedly excited and relieved when he had invited me to lay with him. Although a little surprised. After all, this isn't something that's normally allowed. Not to mention we did sign a contract revision about keeping PDA to a minimum. But I guess even friends could snuggle up like this. I'm sure often times they do, depending on how close the people are.

Still, I decide we should avoid starting any rumors. So reluctantly, I attempt to carefully remove his arm from around me to get up. But he just tightens his hold, snuggling in closer to me, still asleep.

I smile to myself, thrilled on the inside at the sight of him being like this with me. It gives me hope that this could really be blossoming into something more. It sure feels like it is.

I take a moment to look at him in the dim light and up so close, admiring his tan skin, his golden brown hair and eyelashes, the little freckle below his left eye...those eyebrows...those lips...

I really need to cut it out. I can't get distracted; I need to get in my own seat before all the passengers begin waking up. So again, I attempt to slip from his embrace, only to be pulled in closer by his muscular arms.

"Mmm...don't go." I hear him whisper groggily. I look up at him.

His eyes begin to flutter open and he looks at me with a sweet, but tired smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." I whisper, smiling back.

"I don't mind…I slept quite well actually. What time is it anyway?"

I reach to my right and grab my cell phone tucked by the armrest, clicking the home button so that the time lights up.

"About 5:30am."

"It's still early, you're ditching me already? I like you snuggled up here with me." He murmurs, nuzzling his face into my hair.

"I do too actually." I say with a quiet giggle, "I just don't want to get in trouble if anyone sees us. Plus, I kind of have to pee."

"Fine," he pouts, but then smiles and kisses the top of my head before lifting his arm to free me.

"Don't give me that pout." I scold, but not fighting my smile. How could anyone not melt when he gives you that look?!

"Is it working?" he asks, exaggerating his pout look even more now, the silly actor side of him coming out.

"I don't know what are you trying to accomplish exactly?"

"Another kiss, of course."

"You don't have to ask for those." I reply before I realize what I'm saying. But it's the truth, I would me more than happy to accept his kisses whenever he'd like. Well, assuming I'm the only girl he's sharing them with...outside of what's obligated for work when he's shooting scenes.

He looks a little surprised, his eyebrows rising up, but his mouth cracks into a pleased smile.

I smile shyly in return, but he doesn't say anything further, just leans in and kisses me. I feel his thumb faintly run back and fourth on along the skin of my arm where it's wrapped around me and the now familiar tingling shoots through my limb and the rest of my body, his masculine yet delicate touch making my body practically yearn for him.

When we pull away, I can't help the grin on my face. Not only because of that amazing kiss, but because of the look of delight on his face as well.

But our moment is interrupted as Kathy decides to take that moment to check on us, seemingly oblivious of our little moment. Still, I startle slightly, and sit up so that I'm no longer leaning on him. Although I'm still in his seat wedged in beside him.

"Sorry to bother you two, I just happened to notice you're awake," she says softly, "Can I get you a beverage? Coffee? Tea? Juice?"

Ever the gentleman, Tobias looks to me, insinuating I should order first.

"I'll take a coffee, black. Thank you." Kathy smiles and nods.

"I'll have the same, as well as some orange juice, if that's alright." Tobias adds.

I admire that he's always so polite with people, so kind.

"Of course, Sir." She nods and walks away.

"Okay, I really need to take that bathroom break now!" I whisper urgently with a chuckle.

"Alright, go do your business." He smiles and pecks my lips one more time before I stand up.

I slip my shoes back on and make my way to the lavatory. It's such a cramped space, considering it's an airplane bathroom, but it's much bigger and nicer up here in first class, that's for sure.

I relieve myself and freshen up a little, before heading back.

On my way to his seat, I see Kathy has just delivered our coffee and juice, and is now leaning in to take a picture with Tobias.

I keep quiet as I return to my seat, or rather Nita's former seat, next to Tobias. Although now we unfortunately have the little partition half wall between seats separating us again.

As I get situated, I see he's also autographing something for her, and I watch as he swirls his name across the paper, dotting his "i" before handing it back to her with a smile.

"Thank you again, you really didn't have to, but I appreciate it so much." Kathy tells him before looking to me with that motherly smile, "You've got a sweet boy here, don't let this one go."

I smile and go to reply, but am unsure of what to say since he's not really mine to lose, as least not officially. I guess she wasn't really expecting an answer though, as she just smiles and walks away after telling us we should be landing in about a half hour.

I glimpse at Tobias to see him smiling at me, "Kathy seems like a wise woman, doesn't she?" He says and winks at me. "Anyway, now it's my turn for a bathroom break," he adds, standing from his seat and stretching. The movement automatically causes my eyes to glance take in at his abs through his shirt, and I'm pleased to witness his shirt riding up slightly, showing a little bit of the darker hair below his belly button leading down into his jeans.

But I quickly force myself to look away so as not to get caught staring.

"Help yourself to some of my OJ." He says before kissing the top of my head and walking away. I resist turning my head around to watch his retreating form, instead settling for leaning my head back in my seat as I cover my face with my hands, grinning like an idiot, having a little girly moment all to myself. He's been so affectionate lately; it makes me happy to see how comfortable he is with me now.

But I pull myself together quickly, and pull my phone out for something to do. While I wait for him to get back, I check my email and messages. I'm glad to see I've got my hotel reservations in order for tonight, as well as my confirmation for my connecting flight from Zurich to Prague later today. Although I don't know if I'll be as lucky this time with getting an accommodating flight attendant to allow me to sit with Tobias...but we'll see. At least that flight is less than two hours long.

I wonder what we'll do today...we'll be in Zurich for several hours, so we decided we could do a little sight-seeing until we have to head back to the airport for this evenings flight to Prague. I had brought it up earlier, but he suggested we just wing it and explore.

Just Tobias Eaton and I, hanging out and exploring a foreign country like it's no big deal...ha! If my Mom could see me now, I can already picture the look on her face...

She used to always tease me how I was not only a secret hopeless romantic, but that she always knew I was the adventurous type. Saying I'd probably travel the world by the time I'm 40.

I guess she was right about both things.

* * *

We've landed in Switzerland.

We're making our way through Flughafen Zurich, side by side and with our bags in hand. Obviously we're both happy to finally be here. Although for me, the 11-hour flight definitely didn't seem that bad considering I had him as company. He's not someone I seem to tire being around...even after long stretches of time.

"So, you excited to practice some of your German?" Tobias asks me as we step onto the escalator and make our way down. "Where should we go first?"

I glance at him a little nervously, now feeling a lot less prepared. Sure, I felt confident before we left. But now that we're here, we're surrounded by people speaking German in every direction. I'm a bit overwhelmed.

Tori and the team had suggested, that during this 6-hour layover in Zurich, we do a bit of sightseeing and get a feel for the European culture and the German language that is so heavily used in this country. After all, even though the majority of my lines in the movie are in English, I have to have an underlying German accent. So that's where the practice needs to come through, of which I was looking forward to. But now, I don't know where to start.

"Hey, don't worry, this will be fun. You have nothing to stress about." he assures me, obviously catching onto my apprehension.

I nod, "This is just the furthest I've ever traveled... and my German feels juvenile now compared to this, so it's a little overwhelming. But you're right; it'll be fun...like an adventure. I'm excited." I smile.

He smiles back, and we step off the escalator and head for the exit, our luggage secure in the private lounge they allowed us to store our stuff in until we return for our flight to Prague.

He holds the door open for me and I step out into the beautiful crisp air. It's just the beginning of summer, and I'm glad for the good weather we're expected to have.

"Should we head towards Bellevue like we talked about?"

I nod. "Sure."

With that, he slips on his sunglasses, pulls the brim of his hat a little lower, and we get into the cab that was called for us.

"Guten Tag," the driver greets, looking over his shoulder at us as we buckle up, "wo kann ich Sie mittnehmen?"

"Guten Tag," I reply, "Sprechen Sie Englisch?"

"Ja, English okay." he says.

"We would like to go to Bellevue, please."

He nods and pulls away from the curb. As we drive the 20 or so minutes, the car ride is mostly silent, but surprisingly comfortable. Tobias and I are looking out the windows, taking in the sights of this amazing city that we're having the pleasure of visiting for the first time.

At some point along the way, I feel warmth cover my hand where it rests on the seat beside me, and I smile, still looking out the window, as I feel his fingers thread with mine.

Also along the way, we manage to ask the driver about the city a bit more, learning some fun places nearby to sightsee and restaurants to visit eat.

When we arrive to our destination, we pay and bid farewell to the kind man, before standing there on the sidewalk and looking around in every direction, taking in the sights around us.

But then we share a smile, before heading into the small restaurant that the cab driver suggested. We wanted a good authentic Swiss meal, so he suggested one of his favorites.

We're sat fairly quickly, despite it being pretty busy for this time of day. We end up indulging in a large amount of fondue, and more good conversation with him making me laugh as usual, before we decide to walk around the city a bit.

"The architecture is beautiful." I say, strolling along with him through Altstad. I take my phone out and take a few pictures of the buildings and scenery. I also take one of Tobias as he stands with his hands in his pockets, looking straight up at the intricate design of the church in front of us.

"I know, such rich history here," he says. "I bet it's beautiful in the snowy winter too."

When we get to an area where nobody is really around, he subtly takes my hand as we continue to walk. It's risky, but he doesn't seem to care. At one point, he even looks both ways and when he sees the coast is clear, brings my hand to his lips for a kiss.

We go into a few shops, take some more pictures, and just admire the sights until we eventually make it to a newer area where there are more eateries and hopefully some place good for dessert.

"Mmm...look at that place." Tobias says, gesturing to a place across the street called Movenpick, which by the pictures in the window, looks like a nice ice cream parlor.

"C'mon." I chuckle, interlocking my arm with his and leading the way.

When we step inside, the place is very simple and modern in design, but Tobias is right, the ice cream and waffles look incredible.

But the place is also packed, and I see us having to wait a while, so I look to him to see what he thinks.

"You want to wait?"

"Sure, I think we're good. You?" he asks.

Since nobody has really recognized him or bothered him yet, which I think has been partially due to the short beard he's starting to grow, and casual attire, I figure it wouldn't hurt.

"Sounds good to me."

So we get in line, and for the next twenty minutes wait our turn, before we both end up getting a scoop of the caramel, as well as a scoop of the chocolate. After all, the Swiss are known for their chocolate.

But since seating is limited, and we'd rather not be cramped in the packed place anyway, we decide to stroll down by the lake instead.

"This is almost like gelato...so good." he says as we take a seat down on the cement wall along the water. He takes another lick of his ice cream cone, and I can't help but watch his tongue in action.

I swear my lips start to tingle as I continue to steal peeks at his mouth the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

We arrive back at the airport with just enough time to spare, but unfortunately it turns out we'll end up having to separate again.

"This is ridiculous, I don't see why they can't just give you Nita's ticket," he says, not bothering to go in the first class lounge this time as he said he'd rather wait with me until it's time to board.

"And I can't believe that first class is sold out again," he adds.

"Hey, it's not a big deal. I'm used to coach. And I think we can manage to be apart for a couple of hours." I say, although I know I don't sound very convincing. I know we'd both much rather sit together, no matter where it is. But even when he checked for nearby coach seats for him to sit in to be near my seat instead, there weren't any available either.

So at this point, we can only hope for lenient flight attendants again.

When it's boarding time, we hang back and let everyone go ahead of us. We stand off to the side, mostly hidden by a big advertisement sign, as pulls me in for a hug, his arms going around my upper half, almost protectively, as my arms go around his waist.

"See you soon." I tell him.

He nods. "Looking forward to it." he says, the statement now becoming a somewhat regular thing, which makes me smile a little. I'm not looking forward to parting ways now that it's time.

He bends his head down then, tilting it slightly, to capture my lips if even for a brief moment.

All too quickly, it's our last chance to board, and so we do. Him going to his seat, and me going to mine, which this time, is on the other side of the plane completely.

I get settled into my seat, smiling kindly at the woman next to me, who's husband on her other side, already seems to be snoozing where he leans his head against the pillow wedged against the window. I pull my headphones out, as well as my book, but set them on my lap temporarily.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, intent on seeing if we can get in a few texts before we have to turn them on airplane mode. But Tobias seems to have the same thought in mind, as he beats me to it.

Tobias: Did you find your seat okay? You have good seat neighbors?

Tris: Yes, I'm good. :) My seat neighbor is a nice quiet lady who's knitting, and her sleeping husband.

Tris: How about you?

Tobias: Found my seat okay. As for the passenger next to me...not so much."

Tris: smelly? whiney? a talker?

Tobias: All of the above.

Tris: Well of course you're going to whine about them, you just miss ME. ;)

The flirty yet timid smile on my face as I type my reply, is wiped from my face once I read his next message.

Tobias: It's Nita.

It takes me a moment to reply, but he's sends a second text shortly after anyway.

Tobias: And you're right, I miss you like crazy already. You think it would be rude if I ask her to switch seats with you?

I waste no time replying then.

Tris: Tobias James Eaton! Lol, don't you dare. I'm sure you'll manage for a couple of hours. Although I'm sorry you're stuck there. Will pray things go smoothly.

As awesome as that would be, it would get us nowhere, considering we already know what her answer would be. Plus, that would be rude and unfair, which we're not.

Tobias: Thank you. I'll try my best...glad I brought my earbuds and iPod.

Tris: I'll be doing the same. Along with reading my book.

Tobias: What are you reading today?

Tris: Douglas Adams

Tobias: Don't panic. :)

I smile at his Hitchhiker's Guide reference, but I still feel like I have lead in my stomach from the thought of Nita getting to sit with him for the duration of the flight. A lot could happen in two hours...

I see the little three dots indicating he's typing an additional message, so I wait for it to come through.

Tobias: I'll be thinking of you.

Tobias: My heart really likes you.

My heart swells at his words, and I picture the way he looked at me before we parted ways...and that's all it takes for me to decide not to dwell on thoughts of them up there, of her flirting with him or trying to show him a good time. Instead, I get my music playing and open my book in attempt to read. But not before sending my reply.

Tris: Ditto.

Tris: And my heart really likes you too. A lot. :)

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Chapter 12 is being posted directly after this one! It turned out so long that I had trouble uploading it as one chapter, so it got split into two.**

 **Thank you SO much for your patience with this chapter!** **I'll try not to leave you hanging this long again between updates, but I can't promise anything. Life gets busy! Especially when you work as much as me!**

 **Thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing, and a special thank you to those of you who wanted to check in on my well-being, you're so sweet!**

 **:-)**

 **Madison**

 **Pinterest: madisonrose1129**

 **Tumblr: madisonr1129**


	12. Chapter 12

**"Role of a Lifetime"**

 ***RATE** **D M/MA (Especially starting in this chapter!)**

* * *

 **A/N: Also just posted chapter** **11, so check that one out first if you haven't yet!**

 **Reminder** **/Disclaimer:** **I do not own the rights to Divergent or its characters. This is just my fanfic.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12 (TRIS' POV)**

* * *

Despite the unfortunate seating arrangement, the actual flight here to Prague went smoothly. Although I didn't actually get much reading done. I mostly just got lost in thought and listened to a variety of music on shuffle.

An underlying thought remained with me during the flight…why was Nita here?

I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about Nita up there with Tobias. It's an underlying sense of jealously I just couldn't seem to shake completely. Not the fact that she was in first class instead of me, or jealous of her in any way really, but the fact that I craved Tobias' company and I couldn't have it. But then I'd think about his text again, and I'd get that warm fuzzy feeling, putting me at ease.

Now here we are, checking into our hotel, The Four Seasons.

"Here you are miss, you'll be in room 304. Enjoy your stay." The man in the suit behind the counter tells me.

"Any chance there's a suite we could upgrade her to?" Tobias speaks up before I even retrieve the key card.

I look at him in confusion, "Tobias, that's not necessary..."

He just gives me a smile before looking back at the man who's checking his computer.

"I apologize, Sir, all of our suites are booked."

He sighs and nods, before giving him his information to check himself in.

"Would you please let me know if any of the reservations for the suites get cancelled?" He inquires.

"Of course Sir, we'll be happy to."

When we get to the elevator, we step in beside a family who seem deep in conversation about dinner and don't pay us much attention. Still, we keep our distance from each other anyway, just in case. Although even from a good foot away from him, I can feel his warmth and calming effect. I don't know why he's joined me in the elevator specifically though, as I realize this isn't the way to his room. But I don't say anything yet.

Once we reach the third floor, he doesn't seem to think twice before exiting the elevator with me, leaving the family to continue on.

"What are you doing?" I chuckle, "Your suite is in the other building, remember?"

"About that...how about we switch? So you have the suite?"

"What? No! That's silly...that's your room. I'm fine."

"Tris,"

"Seriously, trust me. Plus, that would raise so many questions if anyone noticed..."

"But you deserve-"

"Tobias, this room is just fine for me. Really." I assure him with a chuckle as we walk the short ways down the hall, stopping in front of door 304.

"Okay, fine."

I slip the key card into the slot, before pushing the door open to reveal a very classily furnished room. My suitcase has already been delivered for me and is on the bench by the closet, and I take a peek into the decent sized white marble bathroom, which includes a luxurious looking rainfall style shower. After 36 hours since my last one, it's looking quite enticing right now.

Tobias must notice my excitement of this, because he chuckles, "Well, I'll leave you to take a shower and whatnot, but maybe I'll see you in a bit? "

I smile up at him, "Yeah, sounds good."

He lingers in the entry way though, the door still closed and neglected. I see his eyes dart down to my lips as he takes a step closer, but he remains there a few inches from me.

"When you're done, want to come up to my suite for some room service and a movie?"

"That sounds nice." I smile, taking it upon myself to step closer and wrap my arms around his waist. "Do I get to pick the movie?"

"We have pretty much the same taste-," he says, wrapping his arms around me in return, holding me against his firm body.

"That wasn't the question." I smirk up at him.

"Yeah, sure. Anything you wish." He grins then.

"Good."

"I'm going to kiss you now." He tells me, his voice sounding almost desperate, full of need.

"Good." I reply again, before welcoming his firm, almost rough kiss. He holds me close, sinking one hand into my hair, and confidently probing his tongue into my mouth, causing an uncontrollable whimper to escape my mouth.

"Your little noises are the sexiest fucking thing I've ever heard." He tells me once we pull away to catch our breath. "I can only imagine how sexy you sound when you're stimulated in other ways..."

Liquid heat oozes between my legs at his words, I admit, I think I've already fallen for this guy. And now when he stands here whispering stuff like that in my ear...yeah, there's no denying it. I want him, and all to myself.

"In case you're crazy fast and I'm still in the shower when you get there, here's my spare key, you can let yourself in whenever you're ready to come over." He says, taking the extra key card and handing it to me.

I smile lazily and bite my lip...he gave me his room key. I know it's probably silly to be so touched, especially considering it's just a hotel room...but I'm still thrilled about it. It still makes me happy to know he trusts me like that.

"Okay, will do." I say and we share one more brief kiss before he leaves for his own room.

Still grinning to myself, I head straight for the bathroom and get the shower going so that the water will heat up. I grab my toiletries bag from my suitcase and set it up on the bathroom counter, before stripping myself down and climbing under the steady hot stream of water. It feels amazing after so much traveling.

I think about the movie we're here to make, and how they begin filming tomorrow. I don't have any scenes tomorrow, but George Wu encouraged me to come along as a learning experience.

I also make a mental note to message Susan, Caleb and my dad to keep them updated on my whereabouts. Tobias, however, seems to keep coming back to the forefront of my mind.

As I scrub my body and shave my legs and all other necessary parts, I imagine how he's probably in the shower right now too. His words from earlier come to mind, and once again I'm feeling turned on merely by the thought of him. But I resist touching myself, and stick to getting my shower done, anxious to be with him again.

My mind wanders to the conversations we had today, how he told me a bit more about his life back home and his personal life in general. Again, I'm touched that he feels comfortable opening up to me more and more as time goes on, and the more I get to really know him, the more I respect and appreciate him. He's even more interesting and hilarious then I thought, and his sweet small-town boy nature underneath, just makes him all the more charming.

I look myself over once more before exiting my hotel room, unsure if I look too casual in my jeans, long sleeved shirt and boots. The outfit is pretty cute actually, but my hair is wavy, still partially wet from my shower, and I'm scrubbed free of makeup again. But I really don't want to put it back on considering I'm just going to bed in a few hours anyway, and we don't plan on going anywhere else this evening.

So I decide just to go natural, although I still put on deodorant, some lotion and make sure my teeth are brushed.

I grab my purse and both of our keycards, before heading back to the elevator bay.

I get a little confused finding his building, and then his suite. It ends up taking me almost ten minutes with all the elevator rides. Then when I arrive, I give the door a knock before I'm about to slip the key into the lock, but suddenly the door to the suite across from it opens up.

"Tris?"

Already knowing that voice belongs to Nita, I don't bother denying it's me. I subtly slip Tobias' keycard into my back pocket and turn to face her.

"Hi Nita," I say, feeling a little bad as I see her standing there in a dress on her crutches, since she's still having to wear a large cast.

"It's good to see you Tris. I didn't realize you were staying here too. Which suite are you in?" Nita asks.

"I'm actually in the main building. All the suites up here were booked."

"Aw, that's unfortunate. Well, anything I can help you with?"

"Um, no thanks..."

"I mean, you're here in the classical building by the river suite, so..."

"Oh, I'm actually here to meet Tobias."

"Oh," she says, "Are you sure that he-"

As if on cue, the door behind me opens. I turn to see Tobias standing there barefoot, wearing some shorts, but he's sans shirt. His hair is wetter than mine, seemingly fresh out of the shower, still with his towel in hand. "Sorry I took so long, was still getting dressed, but you could've let yourself-" he begins, but then stops mid-sentence when he sees who's in the hall with me.

His expression quickly turns to one of confusion and he looks from me, to Nita, and back to me again.

"Hi," I greet him, a tight lipped smile on my face, not sure of what to say.

"Hi," he replies to me, then looks to Nita.

"Hi Nita, didn't realize you were right across the hall...how convenient." he says kindly, although his sarcasm isn't extremely subtle.

"Oh yeah, well we were supposed to be the lead actors ya know...we should get the best treatment. And now that they found me a part in the film, I still get to come enjoy the amenities after all." Nita smiles, her eyes obviously roving over Tobias' bare chest. "Say, I was just thinking of heading down to the bar for a while, or maybe grab some dinner-"

"Sorry, we've actually already got plans, but thanks for the offer. Maybe we can meet up with you another day." Tobias replies, then looks to me with a smile as he opens the door a little wider to allow me in.

"See you later, Nita," I say with a small nod and turn to enter Tobias' suite. He says goodbye as well and clicks the door closed, locking it behind him, before turning and standing before me.

He takes my hands in his and looks at me intently, "Was she okay to you?"

"Yeah, she was fine. Don't worry." I smile, not realizing he was concerned that Nita might mis-treat me. That's why his demeanor seemed so analytical after opening the door to find us talking there. Again, I appreciate that he seems to give me my space in those situations, but is ready to step in and shows his concern like this. It shows me he really cares.

Following my instincts in the moment, I stand on my toes and lift my lips to his. I feel his shoulders relax and he pulls me close, wrapping his arms around me to deepen the kiss.

But all too soon, he pulls back, sucking on my bottom lip slightly as he does so, before pulling back completely. He gives me a look like he's restraining himself from taking it further, which just turns me on even more. But then he's taking my hand to lead me to the living room.

He hands me the remote and room service menu, "You pick, I'm going to go find a shirt, be right back."

I flip open the menu first, reading through the various options, before making my decision. Then I turn the large flat panel TV on and look through the pay-per-view options.

When he returns, he's wearing a plain white t-shirt with the same shorts as before. He remains barefoot and seems as though he only ran his fingers through his hair to try and get it to fall into place. I like the slightly messy look his hair gets like this, especially with the slight natural wave to it. I've come to find myself playing with it often times when we're sitting close, wrapping the slightly curled ends around my finger. Thankfully he never seems to mind, often-just leans into my touch like he likes it.

He grabs us some drinks, then sits down beside me and calls in our food as I set up the movie.

Once that's taken care of, I kick off my boots and snuggle further into the couch with him, tucking my feet up underneath myself like I often do.

The next couple of hours go by quickly, but I'm still feeling relaxed. We ate here on the couch as we watched the movie, before snuggling up again and enjoying the rest of it while in each other's arms.

"Did you like it?" He asks as the credits roll, curious of my opinion on the action packed film.

"I did, it was really good." I say, turning to look up at him from where my head is resting in his shoulder. "What was one of your favorite movies growing up?"

His gaze turns to straight ahead, but he seems to be blankly looking at the TV, seemingly lost in thought for a few moments before answering.

"Not sure if I could pinpoint a favorite...I didn't actually watch a whole lot of TV or movies when I was younger. I remember seeing The Sandlot though I liked that. When I got a little older though, I saw Star Wars, and that became my new favorite. What about you?"

"Hm...probably Little Mermaid. But for live-action movies, I remember re-watching Hook a lot. And E.T."

"What's your favorite beverage?" He asks me, looking at me curiously.

"Hmm...probably tea. You like the question game, don't you?" I chuckle.

"I just want to know more about you." He smiles,

"Ya know, you can always ask me stuff. I don't mind."

He smiles and nods, "Okay, are you more of a dog person? Or a cat person? ...Or neither?" He chuckles.

"Both, I like both cats and dogs. But I guess if I had to pick...I'd probably lean towards dog person. You?"

"Same."

"Do I get to ask you questions too?"

"Sure. As long as you don't go sharing my secrets." He says with a smirk. I'm glad that he doesn't seem to have any doubt when he says it though, and again that he really seems to trust me. Which he should, I'd never sell, share or leak information about him, or anyone for that matter.

"Okay..." I begin, not sure where to start. "Well, what made you want to get into acting?"

"You want the short version or the extended version?"

"I've got time..."

"Well, I'll divulge more than I usually do...you deserve to know the truth." He says, and takes my hand as I lean my head on his shoulder.

I can sense the nervousness in his voice now when he speaks, although he doesn't hesitate, "I uh, I didn't have the most exciting childhood...my father, Marcus, was a workaholic and an alcoholic." He begins, taking a breath before continuing, "My mother Evelyn was sweet, but she had an addiction to pills, several of them, and I still wonder if there was more I didn't discover. I was raised in a very strict household...and well, when you have an alcoholic father with anger-management problems, let's say it's not pretty when things aren't exactly as he likes them."

He's still playing with my hand, absentmindedly running his thumb up and down my finger tips as he continues. I try my hardest to keep my tears from spilling over, as I want to stay strong and hear him out

"Evelyn never really stood up to him, even though he was abusive to her too...but maybe that was because he kept the pills coming, I don't know. Anyway...one day he was getting a bit rough with her, and I finally snapped and jumped in to fight back. And I was nearing an age and size to actually have it make some difference. From then on, he finally let up on the physical part of things, but he didn't change much besides that." He takes a deep breath, "Long story short, it got slightly better...but then she overdosed when I was 16...and he passed away about a year after that from a heart attack. So to answer your question...when my music teacher in high school mentioned he used to also do a bit of acting in his younger years, because he liked stepping into someone else's shoes for a while, it piqued my interest. The thought of an alternative reality, of acting as someone else for a while...it sounded fun, and actually had a possibility of making enough money to make a career out of it. I didn't even necessarily like the idea of becoming a big celebrity; I just wanted to act, and to be good enough to keep it up for a while. So I did the university thing and started auditioning whenever I could, until I finally started getting some gigs."

"And here you are, an obvious huge success. Do you still enjoy what you do? Is it as good as you expected?"

"I'd say it's better than I expected, but maybe that's because of where I came from, and what a drastic change it was. I still love acting, but no longer is it to escape my own reality. Because I really enjoy life now, and I feel like over the years, it's helped show me who I am as a person. It kind of helped re-define my personality...I've been able to pick up on the traits I like from the characters I play, and adapt them to my own life and way of thinking. Besides, I'm just really blessed with how fortunate I've been, and for it leading me to the people I've met." He's brings his eyes from where they were staring down at our hands, up to my own blues, making a point of looking at me directly when he says this. It makes my heart swell.

"Sorry for being such a buzzkill, but you asked." He chuckles nervously.

"No, don't be silly! Thank you for sharing that with me...I'm sorry you had to deal with all that...you didn't deserve it." I say, but the lump in my throat is still there from hearing that. I'm also feeling struck with emotion, without being able to help it, a tear drips down.

"It was a long time ago, and I've learned not to get stuck in the past." He tells me as he reaches up and gently wipes the tear away with his thumb, before kissing the spot on my cheek where it just was. "Please don't cry, I don't like it when you're sad."

"Tobias, many people would have let that lifestyle hold them back from making a future for themselves, but you didn't. Not only did you not follow their bad addictive habits, but also you worked hard and proved your skill, and became hugely successful. On top of that, you stayed true to yourself, and became this amazing man. You're such a good person."

I actually notice the blush creep up his neck and he looks down at his lap again.

"Thank you. But, I still had a lot of positive helpful people in my life that helped...not just my music teacher, but after my dad died, my Uncle became my legal guardian until I turned 18. He was pretty cool, we went fishing and stuff...it was really nice." He says with a bit of a faraway smile, but he continues on, "I also had Patty, who owned the little Greek restaurant by my house. She gave me my first paying job...I started out as a bus-boy. I was so glad that someone saw some potential in me, even if it was just in that. And then to be rewarded for the work with money and regularly occurring verbal praise of a job well done...it was very motivating. Things started looking up around that time."

I smile at him, "Tobias Eaton, from bussing tables, to flying first class to Europe to film his leading role as FOUR. All because you put your mind to it and made it happen."

He smiles back, "I've definitely been much more fortunate these past few years. In fact, I've been especially fortunate these past couple of months," he says, tilting my chin up and looks me in the eye, "thanks to you."

"Me?" I say, but it ends up coming out like a whisper.

He nods, "You, Tris, have shown me a whole new kind of happy. One I've never experienced before, and I don't think is it would be possible to with anyone else."

I smile, before replying truthfully, although my heart is beating wildly. "I know what you mean."

"So...what do you say about being my girlfriend?" He asks, his deep voice confident, although I again see the hopefulness in his eyes. He's serious...

Could we really make this work? I know I'll regret it if I never try...

"Absolutely." He grins then, "You want to call HR tomorrow and make it official?"

I laugh at his cute excited behavior and nod in agreement. "Sure."

"Well then, I'm going to kiss my girlfriend now." He states, still grinning, before seizing my lips.

His tongue glides along the underside of my upper lip before prodding more insistently, begging entrance. I part my lips, quickly falling victim to the intoxicating power of his kiss. His tongue then slips inside my mouth and teases mine with languid motions, daring it to tangle with his. As his tongue retreats he starts to suck lightly on my bottom lip like he did earlier, and I find myself feeling that familiar want.

But our kiss is unfortunately interrupted by a knock on the door. Of which he ignores at first, but when they knock again, he reluctantly pulls away. He gives me a look of apology before standing and making his way to the door. When he gets there though, he looks through the peephole, and I see his eyebrows furrow and his demeanor changes. He looks at mouths and me, "It's Nita."

I'm surprised, considering the time. Shouldn't she be asleep? Maybe she napped a lot like Tobias and I, but why is she here at this hour? He doesn't answer quite yet, but then we hear her knocking again.

"Maybe it's important?" I whisper, feeling worried since she's not giving up.

He shrugs, but opens the door. "Hey Nita, what's up?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you, I just stepped out to get some ice, but I accidentally locked myself out of my room. And I do not want to go all the way down to the lobby looking like this, is there anyway I could use your phone real quick to call the front desk to send someone up with a spare key for me?"

He sighs and looks at me, but I just shrug like he did, so he opens the door wider for her to come in. When I see her step through the doorway, she's wearing a nightshirt that comes down to her mid-thigh, while still using her crutches. Although her hair is up in a messy ponytail, it looks perfectly done, and her makeup flawless.

She begins striding towards the phone on the table by the couch, causing her to then notice me. "Oh, Tris, I didn't realize you were still here..."

"Sorry to hear about you getting locked out, I've done that before too." I reply, avoiding her comment. I don't need to have that conversation with her. We need to report this relationship to HR first before anyone else were to find out, which even then, will probably only be the necessary people. But she very well may end up being one of those people, especially if she likes to spring visits on him or I like this. "Where's your ice bucket? Did you want me to go grab it for you?"

I almost feel bad calling her out on this, but I also kind of feel like it's necessary. How was she getting ice if she doesn't really have a free hand to carry the bucket while also using her crutches? Not to mention she calls for everything to be brought to her, so why would this be any different?

"Oh no, don't worry about it. I left it by the machine down the hall, but I really don't even need it now."

I give her a nod and smile, withholding my laughter. I look down at my lap and mind my own business as she dials the front desk. Meanwhile, Tobias is standing off to the side with his arms folded across his chest. I see the amused look on his face too.

After she hangs up the call, she looks to Tobias, "Alright, they're on their way. Mind if I wait here with you guys for a few minutes until they get here? I'd rather not wait in the hall any longer..."

He looks to me, unsure of what to say. I smile and nod before answering on his behalf. "Of course."

She thanks us and slides onto the couch on my right where he had been. But instead of sitting on her other side, Tobias sits on the chair to my left. I turn on the TV to fill the awkward silence, not wanting to make conversation with her.

But thankfully it's only a matter of minutes until there's another knock on the door, this time being a hotel employee with Nita's key.

Once she's gone, Tobias leans against the door and looks at me. He shakes his head a head with a slightly annoyed yet amused look.

"I don't think that went as she had hoped." I chuckle.

"I know, right? I have a feeling that won't be the last sporadic visit, unfortunately."

"Well, if she gets too annoying, you can always stay in my room with me." I tease, but he looks at me like that's actually a great idea.

"Really? That actually sounds very appealing. I mean, I'd be happy to take the couch if you'd like."

"Of course you can. And do we really need to have the couch conversation again?" I ask as I stand and he walks toward me from where he had been leaning. "After all, you're my boyfriend now, right?" I add with a pleased smile.

"You're very right. I'll grab a change of clothes." He smiles, pecks my lips, and then hastily makes his way to the bedroom. Meanwhile, I put my boots back on and straighten up the blankets we had on the couch.

"You're coming tonight?" I chuckle, not realizing he'd take me up on my offer already. Not that I'm complaining!

He peeks his head out, "Is that okay?"

"Of course!" I giggle, "Go get your stuff."

It doesn't take him long to gather his things, only taking what's needed for the night. We slip out the door and to the elevator bay, feeling sneaky as we try to make our way to my building and room without anyone noticing.

Thankfully all goes well and we make it back to my standard room for the night. Being that it's late, we go ahead and get ready for bed. Even though I wonder if either of us have just sleep on the mind.

I know we won't be doing it tonight; it's too soon for that. But, I don't see why we couldn't have a little fun to celebrate our new relationship status. Does he want that too though?

As I dry my hands on the bathroom towel, I feel him approach me from behind, wrapping his arms around me. I smile and lean into him. "Thank you again for letting me stay with you."

"Anytime." I say as I turn in his arms to face him, my arms sliding around his neck.

He grins at me, "Anytime? Don't tempt me." I lean up and kiss him then, gentle at first.

His hand skates down to my lower bare back beneath my shirt as we kiss, but he doesn't take it further.

When he pulls away, he seems to be appraising me, unsure of how far I want to take things. His blue eyes have darkened, making me aware of our proximity again, and that one if his hands is still resting on my back, while the other has now taken one of my hands in his. Slowly, he lifts my hand towards his mouth. I'm frozen in place, watching as his lips graze my skin. He rotates my arm and places another gentle kiss on the inside of my wrist. Heat radiates through me, coiling into a knot just beneath my belly button. His lips blaze a trail up my arm. When he reaches the crook of my elbow, he draws back and the lust glazing his eyes makes that knot in my belly throb insistently.

"Thank you for tonight...for listening to me, for sharing with me..." He says.

"Thank you for trusting me, for opening up to me." I reply.

He kisses the corner of my mouth. It's just a whisper of his lips against mine, but I have to clutch at him to keep from dissolving into a puddle at his feet. There's something very intimate about the way he's touching me tonight, even more so than usual. It's threatening to undo me…fast.

He continues to kiss me, soft little pecks as he brushes his lips against mine once, twice, three times, before he plants a kiss on the opposite corner of my mouth.

I whimper, and instinctually roll my hips into him, causing him to let out a little grunt if his own, but he pulls away again.

"I'd better let you get some sleep," he says, his voice rough with want. "Because if I stand here with you for one more fucking second, everyone on this floor is going to hear you screaming my name as I take you right here against the bathroom door."

Oh sweet Jesus. Just like that, every synapse in my body fires at once, arousing all of my nerve endings. My nipples stand at attention. My mouth parts unconsciously. The juncture of my thighs grows hot and wet. I can only imagine the dazed look that must be on my face.

Tobias moistens his lips as his eyes lower to my chest. He raises his hand and very lightly rubs his thumb over one of my very stiff nipples, causing me to suck in a breath. "For me?" he murmurs.

I gasp and tremble at the jolt of current that travels right between my legs. My clit throbs, impatient, needy. "Yes." I whisper in reply.

He must see my eyes glance down at his crotch, because the next thing I know, he's whispering, "For you. Only for you, Tris."

I take that as an invitation then, my hand moving on its own accord then, covering his groin, where his erection strains against his jeans. My fingers curl around his cock the best it can from outside the denim. He's rock hard and feels so big, so wonderful.

I feel delirious at this point. It's a wonder I'm even still standing upright. I've never felt such a primal urge to have sex with a guy as I do in this moment with Tobias.

He's robbed me of any logic and replaced it with pure, wanton need. If he wanted to yank my pajama shorts down and thrust inside me right now, I'd totally let him. I'd be at his complete mercy, and I'd love every second of it.

I scrape my nails along the nape of his neck as we kiss some more, but as I attempt to deepen the kiss, he steps back again.

"Fuck," he breathes out. His thumb traverses the curve of my lower lip from where he's cradling my jaw.

"Bed?" I ask, and then realize how needy and insinuating that sounded. "I mean, not necessarily to...ya know...but maybe..." I trail off, not knowing what exactly what I'm implying.

He smiles at me admiringly, walking backwards as he leads me to the bed. When the back of his knees hit the bed, he scoots himself up to lay back against the pillows, taking me witrh him so that I'm hovering over him, a knee on each side of his waist as I straddle him. He pulls me down to kiss him, but pulls away just enough to say, "Let me know if I'm taking things to fast, okay?"

Just as I nod back, he lips are on mine again. This time, his hands roam down back, slowly making their way to palm my ass. With a cheek in each hand, he gives it a squeeze. I'm sure he has a very clear idea of what my ass actually feels like, considering the thinness of the shorts I'm wearing, which consists of just a thin layer of cotton fabric. But now I'm worried he'll notice how soaked they are too. For some reason it feels a little embarrassing, even though I know I shouldn't be.

But that's soon forgotten, as he squeezes my ass again while his mouth moves to place kisses along my neck, and I roll my hips against him as I did earlier. He groans in pleasure at the feeling. It feels incredible to be in this position with him. And to feel his desire like that, to feel that he wants me too...it's intoxicating.

All of this...feeling him long and hard beneath me, with his mouth moving against my sensitive skin, and his hands caressing me, it emboldens me to take the next step.

I sit up and pull my shirt over my head, and being that I had already removed my bra for bed, I'm now revealing my bare breasts to him for the first time. Once the garment is flung aside, I resist the instinct to cover myself, and instead rest my hands on his firm stomach from where I remain straddling his lap. If he wants to be with me, he may as well see the full package. After all, I'm not changing for anyone, no breast implants or enhancement surgeries here...they have to appreciate me for me. So if he's disappointed, he can just evacuate now. Better to break things off before I get even more attached.

But I'm relieved to see he watches with a passionate gaze, his jaw falling open as I reveal my puckered nipples to his heated ocean eyes. I see his fingers curl into his palms, and feel his dick twitch against my core through his shorts. "You're gorgeous." He says, his voice clearly full of need.

His hands tentatively traverse the length of my thighs, before stopping and resting there. He continues taking in the sight of me, while his thumbs rub back and fourth on my inner thigh, making my skin warm. But then he's gliding his hands slowly up over my hips, along my waist and further north until he's cupping my breasts, fondling them gently in his large hands.

My hands move slowly from his stomach to his chest, palms spread wide so I can feel as much of him as possible. He seems to like it, as he leans up a bit to remove his own t-shirt.

Once it's off though, he remains leaning forward, so that he can pull my left nipple into his mouth. I let out a sigh of pleasure at the feeling of his lips wrapping around it and his tongue tickling it. He switches to the right one then, while his hands begin their trek back down to my thighs. This time they inch their way upwards, towards the hem of my shorts, before slowly slipping beneath them. But he doesn't reach all the way up yet, still not touching me where I'm aching to be touched.

He pulls his mouth away from my chest then, looking me over, "This is okay?"

I nod and smile, "Very much so."

He smiles back, leaning in to kiss me again, as his hands continue their venture up my shorts until his thumbs are brushing my wet folds. "Fuck, I don't think I've ever been more turned on." he admits. "Can I kiss you...here?" he asks, taking his right thumb to rub over my clitoris. "I've been wanting to do that for so long."

My voice can't seem to make an appearance; my body is wound too tight, like I could get off at any moment from his words alone. So I just nod. Frantically. Impatiently.

He smiles excitedly and wraps both arms around me before flipping me gently onto my back, so that he's hovering over me, my legs around his waist.

He then dips his head down to kiss my mouth once again, then trailing a path down my neck and past my collarbone, on its way to my breasts. His teeth nip at the softly, leaving soft kisses down my body. My hands run through his hair, my soft pants seemingly urging him on.

He leaves a wet trail down my stomach, like he's on a hunt for a prize. He dips his tongue into my belly button and I shudder, my hips bucking into his chest. When he gets to my pajama shorts, he watches me carefully as he peels them slowly down my legs. I concentrate my gaze on his reaction, curious what I'll see as he takes in the sight of me, likely glistening with arousal.

I notice his mouth is slack and he's taking in the sight of me like he did earlier when I removed my shirt, like I'm some beautiful thing worth committing to memory. I wonder for a moment if maybe I'm imagining it, but then his hands find my feet and slowly run the length of my calves. When he reaches my knees, he gently encourages me to separate my thighs, opening myself up to him. He steals a glance at my face and my breath hitches at the intense look of desire and passion in his expression.

"Tobias," I gasps as his fingers make contact with my slick folds. Lowering his face to my center, he glides his tongue from my entrance to the top of my clit in one slow motion. I can feel the grip he has on my thighs tighten slightly and my breathing becomes faster , and my breath comes in shallow pants. I open my legs even wider and raise my hips just enough to let him know I want him to do it again. Twice, three times he retraces that path, and I'm already a quivering mess and begging me for, "Yes, yeeeeesss, Tobias..."

He brings his tongue back to my little bundle of nerves and flicks his tongue back and forth, and just as begins to slip one finger inside of me simultaneously, I come. Hard. My heels dig into the mattress and my back arching from the bed, my body convulsing while his tongue finishes me off.

"You are every lovely word I could possibly think of." He tells me before probing that finger in again gently, before adding another. I look down at him, watching as he fingers me with a look of awe on his face. He looks up at me then and we lock eyes, his gaze heated. I feel like I'm too sensitive, I can't take any more, but I can't seem to stop him.

"Another?" he asks, curling his fingers just right, pushing me over the brink for the second time, the intense waves coursing through my body as I pulsate around his long fingers. Fuck!

I'm still feeling like a bit of an amateur when it comes to this stuff, but whatever he's doing feels so incredibly good that I'm sure I'm not making any coherent noises, besides maybe his name repeatedly as I ride out my orgasm.

I'm feeling sated and delirious as I feel him sliding my shorts back up a couple minutes later, then he goes to lay down beside me, still holding me close.

Oh my gosh, did that really just happen? Am I dreaming right now?

Wait, I can't forget about him!

"May I?" I ask, reaching toward the waistband of his boxer-briefs.

"You don't have to..." he says, smiling as he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear, "Trust me, I got plenty of pleasure from what I just did."

I think it's sweet that he doesn't want me to feel obligated or uncomfortable to touch him too, but I want to.

"And if I'd like to?" I ask, but then it occurs to me that maybe he actually doesn't want a hand job or blow job or whatever I would end up doing...maybe he's not even hard right now...I steal a glance down there and see his obvious bulge.

Okay, that's not the issue.

He smiles, "Then that would be a dream come true. But I don't mind being patient if that's what you prefer."

I smile back, my confidence restored, as I reach forward, snagging the waistband of his boxers, and pulling them down his thighs. His penis springs out, thick and long. I wrap my fingers around him, feeling the silky hot skin of his rigid erection. His deep noise of approval makes me smile again, and I feel him twitch with excitement in my hand.

I slide my tongue over the sensitive head and hum.

"Geez." He barely breaths the word, his body jerking.

Hearing that guys like this, I reach down and cup his balls to gently play with them at the same time, causing him to curse under his breath. He sits up, resting back on his hands so that he can watch me. I look up at him, admiring all the muscles and tendons as they stand out in his arms as he braces himself.

He feels amazing in my mouth as I suck him and lick him, and do my best to make him feel good. He reaches forward with one hand to hold my hair out of the way.

My limited experience would normally have me more worried than this, but he's so good at making me feel desirable and sexy and connected to him, that I get too wrapped up in what we're doing to even care about knowing good techniques or how to properly do things. Everything feels natural and good with him, and it's incredible. I just do what feels right, and try to pay attention to what he responds to most, to learn what he likes.

Thankfully I must be doing something right, because it's not long before he warns me. "Tris, I'm so close-"

I give him one good last draw in my mouth, before replacing it with my hand, moving it up and down eagerly, happy to be sharing this experience with him, and eager to give this to him. I stroke him just a few times before he's coming all over his stomach and my hand, a low drawn out growl of pleasure leaving his lips as he does.

I will never forget the way he looks right then, and I really hope it's not the last time I cause that to happen. I could definitely get used to this.

He climbs from the bed and heads to the bathroom to clean himself up and helps me clean up as well before pulling his boxers back on. We crawl into the bed and he pulls me against him, holding me close.

"That was amazing,"

"I really enjoyed that."

"We've got a busy day tomorrow, sleep baby…" He purrs as we snuggle closer before falling asleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Looking forward to chapter 13? Let me know what you think! Will get it written and posted as soon as I can.**

 **:-)**

 **Madison**

 **Pinterest: madisonrose1129**

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	13. Chapter 13

**"Role of a Lifetime"**

 **(RATED M/MA)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Divergent or its characters. This is just my fanfic. Also, just to remind you that the movie that Tobias is filming as 'Four' is inspired by the film The Bourne Identity starring Matt Damon.**

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 **Chapter 13 (TRIS' POV)**

* * *

It feels much too early when his alarm starts going off the next morning, but that's our own fault, as we decided he should purposely set it a little earlier so that he could sneak back to his room without being noticed.

We're still not fully adjusted to the time change yet. But our odd sleeping hours and random naps lately have helped, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a restful sleep last night after our conversation and...Activities.

Sleeping in the same bed as him has already proven to give me a better night's sleep than usual, but add his golden tongue pleasuring me on top of that, and I'm pleasantly satiated, even if I've only actually gotten about 5 hours of shut-eye.

He groans as he snoozes the alarm on his phone again, then nuzzles his face deeper into my hair and holds me closer.

I'm already awake by now, but happy to enjoy cuddling with him a little longer, loving the feel of his arm wrapped around me from where he spoons me from behind. His bare chest against my back and length nestled up against my butt, if even through his boxers; is also quite nice to wake up to. I could definitely get used to this.

But I'm startled from the peaceful moment as the cheesy 80's Foreigner song _"Waiting for a Girl Like You"_ begins to go off on my phone.

I can't help the soft giggle that bubbles from my throat as I let it play softly for a moment. When did he even have a chance to change it this time?

I turn my head to see him lying there with his eyes closed still, but now he a small smile on his face too. I watch as he begins to lip synch the words. Even after the clip of the song stops on my phone, he continues singing it softly, trying to imitate the guys voice, only opening his eyes and staring at me when he hits these lyrics;

 _I've been waiting for a girl like you_

 _To come into my life_

 _I've been waiting for a girl like you_

 _A love that will survive_

 _I've been waiting for someone new_

 _To make me feel alive_

 _Yeah, waiting for a girl like you_

 _To come into my life_

He laughs afterwards, the deep hearty noise rumbling against me. I smile broadly at him, loving how comfortable and silly he can be. I love that he holds nothing back around me.

He can be all serious and intimidating, doing crazy fighting and stunt work like a pro, yet he can be so adorably silly and laid back when we're just hanging out.

I decide I better cut the silence before my mind starts to wander towards how wonderful those traits would be in a husband. After all, I've only technically been his girlfriend for a day! I can't think like that.

"Wasn't that song in Footloose?" I ask.

But who am I kidding...I've thought of his husbandly attributes since the first week I knew him, it's undeniable.

"Ya know, I think you might be right, I forgot about that." He chuckles.

As we sit there in comfortable silence for a moment, my mind finally registers the lyrics. Even though I'm pretty sure he's just randomly picking silly songs, he sure knows how to pick ones a girl would like to think are about her.

"I really had fun last night," he says as he runs his hand up and down my arm, "My girlfriend is amazing..." He murmurs quietly to himself while kissing the side of my head.

I smile up at him, loving how that sounds, especially coming from his mouth with that sexy voice that I fell in love with when I first saw that Audi commercial he did, well before I met him. But we're interrupted by his alarm again, causing him to sigh heavily.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to start filming today, but a bigger part of me would much rather just stay right here in bed with you like this." he rolls onto his back so that he can reach his phone on the nightstand and silence it again.

"At least I get to go with you today...I'm excited to watch." I say while tossing the covers off of me and sitting up, attempting to pat my hair down where it's sticking up. I always get the most ridiculous bed head.

"Yeah?" he asks, seemingly happy about that. He also climbs out of bed, stretching as he goes.

Damn, I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching him stretch like that.

"Mhmmmmm…" I manage to reply, turning away so as not to get distracted. After all, we don't have all that much time until they'll be here to pick us up.

I begin pulling an outfit from my suitcase as he throws his pants and shirt back on, then his socks and shoes. He runs his hand through his hair before coming back over to me.

"Well, I guess I'll see you down in the lobby in a half-hour?" he asks and I nod, stepping forward to hug him.

He wraps his arms around me, holding me close for a few seconds, before pulling away enough to look at me. He brings his hand to my cheek, rubbing his thumb along it, smiling at me briefly before leaning down to kiss me. He draws it out, letting his lips linger and his nose rub against mine.

I feel like he's trying to memorize the feel of me, knowing he's not going to be able to be physically close throughout the day. But I'm okay with that, so I let him continue.

Besides, I know I'm definitely going to go a little crazy keeping my hands off of him, now that I've had a feel. But it's important we remain professional, and don't lead anyone on to our relationship.

When he pulls away, he kisses my forehead, before reluctantly pulling away completely. "See you soon."

"See you soon." I agree with a nod, and then he's out the door.

I take a quick shower, put on a little make-up and blow-dry my hair. I decide on a pair of dark denim jeans and a white top with thin black stripes. I also bring a jacket just in case I get chilly.

On the elevator ride down, I reply to Susan's texts that I got a few hours ago, which I didn't hear since I had been sleeping. But I withhold the details about my new relationship status for now. That'll be a phone call, not a text. I just hint that I'm looking forward to catching up with her soon.

By the time I exit the elevator and begin walking toward the main lobby where the hotel entrance is, I spot Tobias already waiting with Matthew, one of the Personal Assistants or PA's who we've met once before.

"Hi guys, you been waiting long?" I ask as I approach, but keep an appropriate amount of distance between Tobias and I now that we're in public. I don't go to hug or handshake either of them.

"Nah, I just got here too," Tobias says with a warm smile.

"Hello, Tris. Good to see you," Matthew says, "We're ahead of schedule, so thank you. But you never know with traffic, so shall we head out?"

"Lead the way." I say with a smile. He nods and turns away, walking towards the large doors.

I yawn as Tobias and I follow behind, still a bit jet-lagged, but still very excited for today.

Matthew leads us to what appears to be a Mercedes mini-van with a driver waiting patiently. We all climb in, Matthew taking the front seat, Tobias and I in the next row back.

"So where exactly are we headed?" I ask Tobias quietly as Matthew makes a phone call.

"Kampa Park, on Kampa Island." He replies, pulling out his Call Sheet. He holds it out for me to read with him. It shows he has to be at the base of the Charles Bridge by 7am.

Thankfully we arrive 15 minutes early, which is definitely good, especially on the first day. Directors like punctuality.

I go over scene notes and chat with the coordinators to get familiar with things as they have him get into hair and makeup, and changed into his wardrobe for the scene.

It's not long until they deem him ready, and someone comes to retrieve him. They escort him to where they're setting up for the scene, me following behind as I observe everything around us.

The bridge is beautiful; the baroque style design is from the 1300's fitting in well with the architecture and design of the buildings. But it's hard to fully admire it from here, especially when everyone's attention is focused on the park bench where the scene actually takes place.

I'm no stranger to movie sets and all these people and cameras and equipment around, but now I'll be paying more detailed attention to the actor's part of the process...the direction they're given with their lines and facial expressions, blocking, and so on, but most importantly where to stand on your mark. It literally means 'X' marks the spot.

Tobias gives me a wink and a smile before stepping forward to chat with George and the crew about the scene.

I continue to watch quietly off to the side as they get him in position, and do a basic test run. After which, they start rolling the first take.

"Action!" George says, and they begin the scene.

Tobias, or rather, _Four,_ is bundled up in jeans, a shirt and a jacket, supposedly asleep on the park bench, on a crisp morning in 'Zurich', when two officers notice, and approach him.

It's interesting to watch as they film this scene here in Prague, pretending it's Zurich, especially when we were just there. But apparently they already got the shots they needed separately from Zurich, to splice with these shots.

I watch the scene unfold several times, some of which are cut short and redone because someone laughs or misses their line. But Tobias is professional behind the camera, and they get quite a few good takes in a short amount of time.

This last time, being the best according to George, not only do they hit all their marks, but also the fight scene came out impeccable. The way Four expertly takes out both cops, retrieving both weapons and emptying the clips, all within a matter of seconds. Only the way a trained professional could, like an ex-CIA agent such as him. I can only imagine what the final product will be like after editing. And this is only the first real scene that has been shot!

Tobias comes over after the final take, leaning over my shoulder to re-watch the take with me as they review the playback.

Feeling him behind me brings back the memory of how we woke up this morning, and the urge to lean back is so great. So I do, only subtlety. I've given just enough of a hint that he puts his arm on my shoulder so it looks like we're just watching the scene he just filmed on the small monitor.

I'm amazed as I watch him on screen, that amount of blocking and choreography that he mastered in that scene was incredible. He was to appear as if he was sleeping on a park bench when two cops approach. He was able to disarm the cops as they tried to arrest him and then he runs off into the darkness.

"What do ya think?" George asks us with a smile. I feel Tobias squeeze my shoulder as he pulls away. Knowing we both wanted that moment to last longer.

"That was badass." I reply, truly impressed. "If possible, I'm now even more convinced Tobias is perfect for this part."

"I couldn't agree more," George says, patting Tobias on the shoulder. "Well done kid."

Once they deem they've got all the shots they need from this location, they begin packing up the equipment to move to the next location. We're told that we're going to move up the road for him to shoot a few more random shots of him walking and whatnot, but that we have a short while until they will be ready. So he gets a little break until then.

"Want to walk around a bit?" He asks me.

"Sure, let me just grab my water." I say, retrieving the bottle from off to the side. Which is over near Christina, who is sitting comfortably and giving me a knowing smile. But I just roll my eyes, while probably also blushing, and smile back before turning back to him. We begin walking towards the main part of the bridge.

"Tobias, that was awesome back there." I tell him once we're out of earshot of everyone.

"You liked it?" He asks, as if still unsure, but he has a growing smile, like he's excited too. "I still get first day jitters."

"You have no reason to," I assure him, "It was great. You really captured how Four was a bit surprised by his own instincts and skill, having not known how he knows all that stuff."

"Good, I was hoping I didn't over-act it." He says, and then seems to think of something amusing, "That would be kind of cool, waking up and just instinctually knowing how to fight like that."

"Cool, but freaky." I chuckle.

We continue our leisurely stroll as they set up for the next shot, and I see his fingers move a little as it brushes near mine. I wonder if he's itching to hold it as much as I am.

"Wow, look at the detail..." I say, approaching the large unique footbridge.

I admire the many beautiful arches and three big bridge towers. The overall gothic-style design is really breathtaking. You can really feel that it's from the 14th or 15th century.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He asks.

"Yeah, and with Prague Castle just right there," I say, pointing to the spectacular view of it. "Even more gorgeous."

"I heard that's the largest ancient castle in the world. It's huge." He says.

"I want to explore a castle one day."

"We're already here in Europe, we could probably make it happen one of these days."

When we reach one of the towers, he stops and looks up at the detail of the statue and surrounding carvings. We explore and take some pictures on my phone, but then his eyes zone in on an alcove behind the pillars. He looks both ways to see if anyone is around, which there doesn't seem to be. So he strolls towards it, using his head to nod in that direction, encouraging me to follow him.

I do of course, feeling ridiculously excited at what I think he might be up to. Surely he's going to sneak in a kiss, or at least give me a hand squeeze or something, right? I crave his touch so much it's not even funny. It's feels like hours since we've made physical contact.

He seems to be genuinely interested in the artistry around him, but once we're both tucked in the alcove and completely out of view, he pulls me against him, almost roughly, and his lips are crashing to mine, his tongue following soon after. His one arm is around my waist, holding me close, while the other tangles in my hair.

I let him kiss me like he wants, good and hard, and I relish every single moment of it. It's like he sets every little nerve ending in my body on fire. I don't know how he does it exactly, but it's a strong heady feeling, and it's exhilarating.

When he pulls away, I look up at him, still breathing heavily, and I'm sure the effect he has on me is pretty apparent.

"I've been wanting to do that all afternoon, especially with how much you've been smiling with those gorgeous lips today." He says, rubbing my bottom lip gently with his thumb from where he cradles my face. He smiles, looking at me with such warmth and desire; it makes me smile widely in return.

"Fine by me." I reply.

We hear voices nearby, so we split apart and continue looking around the historic site, sharing glances and smiles every so often, but avoiding any further touching in order to keep our cover, at least until we get the 'okay' from Human Resources that we can be a little more 'friendly' on set.

The rest of the day goes by smoothly, with Tobias shooting more random scenes of him walking around. Apparently a lot of these takes will be spliced together, showing him walking around the city, confused and unsure of himself with his amnesia. All his character has got on him is the number to a Swiss bank account, and the clothes on his back.

The whole team turns out to be great, but I especially admire how George works and communicates, he's a really talented Director. He even takes the camera on his own shoulder every so often, just to get the angle he wants or to try something new out.

By the time they call it a day, it's dark out and we're pretty tired. So we head straight back to the hotel. When we get back, we go to our own rooms for a while so as not to raise suspicion.

But after a short while, he returns back to my room, a change of clothes and toothbrush in hand.

I greet him with a kiss, and then we order room service for a late dinner. Both starving after that long day, even though we had a light lunch that was catered for the crew.

When we're done, we watch the end of one of the X-Men movies that's on TV. As the credits roll I notice him yawning, so I figure we should probably head to bed and let him get some much-needed rest.

"You ready to head to bed? You must be exhausted."

"Sure," he says, stretching his arms over his head. But then he remembers something. "Wait, you still want to make the phone call this evening?" He asks.

"To HR?"

"Yeah, I mean unless you'd prefer to wait..." he says, looking a little hesitant. Does he really think I'd be opposed to this? Surely he must notice how much I want this too...

I glance at the clock and see it's just after 11pm here, so it'll be a good time to call the office considering it's mid-day in California.

"Now is a perfect time." I tell him with a smile, "Should we call or Skype?" I remember Tori mentioning we'd be doing some meetings like that here and there, so assume that might be best in this situation.

"Yeah, probably Skype. But I'll call ahead right now to give them a heads up."

He does so as I go retrieve my laptop and set it up. Once we've got it all ready and linked into the Human Resources office, we prepare ourselves side by side in front of the screen.

"Mr. Eaton, Ms. Prior, how can I help you today?" The woman asks after the initial pleasantries.

"As I'm sure you're aware, we recently signed the revised contracts, which includes the new clauses regarding relationships between co-workers." Tobias speaks up.

A knowing smile begins to form on her face, but she just nods in agreement and lets him continue.

"And well, we'd like to formally inform you that we do plan on initiating a personal relationship, of which we understand we need to keep private and out of the public eye. But we wanted to go about this the right way and let you know about it."

"That is appreciated. If it's alright with you, I will go ahead and start recording this conversation so that you do not have to physically sign any contracts to fax over right away, we can simply use these verbal statements as your agreement until we get your signed paper copies submitted."

"Fine by us." He says, looking to me for confirmation. I nod.

"Alright, I'm going to read the contractual statements for these situations, and you can agree or disagree."

"Sounds good."

"Consensual Romance in the Workplace Agreement," she begins, reading from the document in front of her.

"1. Equal Employment Opportunity Workplace. The undersigned recognize and agree that it is Wu-Matthews Productions policy to provide an equal opportunity in hiring, employment, promotion, compensation, and all other employment-related decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age (40 or older), being a qualified person with a physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis set forth in the applicable federal, state and local laws or regulations relating to discrimination in employment. The undersigned understand that Wu-Matthews Productions does not tolerate unwelcome or offensive conduct or conduct that creates a hostile work environment that is in any way based on or related to a person having any of the characteristics described above.

The undersigned agree that they have received, read and understand Wu-Matthews Productions' policy and agree to adhere to all of its terms."

We nod and she continues.

"2. All Forms of Sexual Harassment Prohibited. The undersigned also recognize and agree that Wu-Matthews Productions does not tolerate sexual harassment, a form of unlawful discrimination. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:

• submission to such conduct is made, explicitly or implicitly, a condition of an individual's employment or advancement;

• submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or

• such unreasonable conduct interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

The undersigned agree that they have received, read and understand Wu-Matthews Productions' anti-harassment policy and agree to adhere to all of its terms."

Again we nod, then she looks up at us from her paper, "This is the portion that's changing that you'll be signing soon, and are currently updating your verbal agreement to," she says.

"Okay." Tobias replies, waiting for her to continue.

"3. Consensual Relationship. We, the undersigned employees, have entered into a personal relationship with each other. We agree as follows:

• Our relationship is entirely voluntary and consensual.

• Our relationship will not have a negative impact on our work.

We will not engage in any public displays of affection or other behavior that might create a hostile work environment for others or that might make others uncomfortable. In addition to, we will make an effort to keep said relationship as private as possible for marketing reasons of the film.

• We will act professionally toward each other at all times, even after the relationship has ended.

• We will not participate in any company decision-making processes that could affect each other's pay, promotional opportunities, performance reviews, hours, shifts or career, while in this relationship [and after the relationship ends].

• We agree that, if the relationship ends, we will inform Wu-Matthews Productions if we believe it is necessary to protect our rights or if the anti-harassment policy is violated.

• We each agree that, if the relationship ends, we will respect the other person's decision to end the relationship and will not retaliate against the other person, engage in any unprofessional or inappropriate efforts to resume the relationship, or engage in any other conduct toward the other person that could violate the anti-harassment policy."

"Do you agree to all of the consensual relationship terms I just listed? If so, please agree verbally, using your full name."

"Yes, I, Tobias Eaton, agree to those terms." he states.

"I, Beatrice Prior, also agree to those terms." I state clearly, so that there's no question about it.

I feel Tobias look at me, so I turn my head to face him. He's looking at me with a warm smile.

I smile back, getting lost in his eyes for a moment, but then I remember we have this lady watching us from my laptop. So I quickly turn back towards the screen, trying to calm myself.

I see she's watching us with another knowing smirk, as if she finds us adorable. It makes me blush.

"Do you have any further questions?"

"Actually..." Tobias begins, looking to me as he thinks of what to say, then looks back to her. "It's not so much a question, but I would just like to let you know for the record, it's come to our attention that Nita Paolos is back in the movie." The lady nods and looks slightly confused as to how this is relevant. "And well, she's proven to be somewhat of a nuisance so far. Making passes at me even though I've clearly rebuffed her. Normally I wouldn't complain or find it necessary to bring it to your attention, but I definitely sense some animosity towards Tris, which is unacceptable, especially considering its unsolicited and unprovoked. It's been fairly tolerable so far, but I don't want it to get worse if she were to find out about our relationship. I feel it should be noted that she's already been known to try and interfere. Obviously we'll try to be discreet, but in the case she were to try and cause problems..."

"Then you call me immediately." The lady interrupts, understanding now. "She has signed the same contracts and anti-harassment papers as you two. Well besides today's new variation of course." She says, smiling, "So if you feel she's harassing you in any way, especially sexually, just give me a call and we'll discuss it. Depending on the severity of the offenses, often times we'll give someone three strikes, or they'll simply be cut from the project. Or if applicable, will at least be forced to shoot their scenes on their own, which then often results in a reduction of their fees, as it costs the production company more money to make alternative arrangements."

"Wow." I say, surprised by all that. I mean, she's a huge actor, surely she could get herself out of most of that...after all, she did get herself back into the movie. Besides, I don't want all that to happen. I just want her to mind her own business and treat others with respect.

"Yes," she continues, "As you mentioned, it's recommended you just keep things confidential and between the two of you, at least until the film is done. But should you run into any issues with her or anyone else, please don't hesitate to call me."

"Thank you so much, we really appreciate it." I chime in, giving her a grateful smile.

"Anytime, happy to help." She agrees, looking to Tobias then. "Anything else?"

"No, I think that covers it." Tobias replies.

"Alright then, I will email you both a copy of the newly revised contract for you to sign. But as mentioned, this verbal agreement will be just fine until we receive the signed copy."

We thank her and say our goodbyes before I lean forward and close the screen to my laptop. I sit back against the back of the couch then, turning my head to look at Tobias again.

"So that went well." I say.

"I know, I'm glad she was so understanding and easy to talk to."

"She didn't even seem surprised." I say softly, not realizing I said it out loud until he asks me his next question.

"Why would she be?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why would she be surprised?" He asks, looking at me with a slightly furrowed brow.

"Well, ya know..." I say, gesturing to him and all his sexy handsome glory, then to me and my plain self. I chuckle, "We're not what many would expect I guess..."

After all, I'm sure he could have pretty much any actress or supermodel he wanted.

He rolls his eyes then and leans in to kiss me. But it only lasts a couple of seconds before he pulls away and looks me in the eyes, just inches from my face. "I guess you're right..." He says, looking down at my lips, then back up to my eyes, "Some might wonder how a giant goofball like me, with practically no relationship experience or skills - and very picky taste might I add- have landed such a beautiful, smart, talented girl like you."

He kisses me again before I can reply, his lips melding to mine. I smile into this kiss, loving his sweet unexpected words. For the next couple of minutes, our lips remain together, our tongues now exploring, just like our hands.

When we finally pull away for air, I smile at him.

"You always seem to know how to put a smile on my face."

"Good, I feel like that's my new goal in life anyway. That's all I really want." He says, smiling too.

"Ditto. You make my cheeks hurt I smile so much around you."

He chuckles, using his teeth to playfully nibble at my jaw, which tickles, so I let out a small laugh.

"C'mon, we have another long day ahead of us tomorrow." He says, standing from the couch. But before I can get up, he bends down and scoops me up, throwing me over his shoulder. He pats my butt twice, and begins walking over to the bed, me giggling along the way.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thank you SO much for following/favoriting, and for all the wonderful reviews! I love the feedback! Also for my friends beta help, you're amazing!**

 **Thanks again for your patience. Life gets so busy! But I'm hoping to have chapter 14 up sooner than these last few have taken me. Also, we'll have another chapter from Tobias' POV again soon!**

 **Until then, feel free to check out my "Role of a Lifetime" themed Pinterest page. My username is: madisonrose1129**

 **Thanks,**

 **Madison**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:**

 **Thank you SO MUCH for your patience everyone! Life has crazy busy for me lately, and I have a feeling it'll stay like this for a while. But I'm still working on this story, slowly but surely! Hopefully the chapter after this won't take me quite so long to post.**

 **Also, thank you to all of my helpers with this chapter, you're amazing and so very appreciated! Same goes to you readers- I love receiving all your amazing reviews, and I'm still baffled by the amount of follows and favorites this story is getting! So thank you for all the support! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Divergent or its characters. This is just my fanfiction.**

* * *

 **"Role of a Lifetime"**

 **(RATED M/MA - especially towards the end of this chapter)**

 **Chapter 14 - TRIS' POV**

* * *

Our few days in Prague were awesome. But now that Tobias is done filming there, we're on to the next destination; Paris!

Paris is the main location for most of the filming, including where we'll be doing all of my scenes. Well, all but one, which is a brief shot of me in Greece. But we're filming that last, which still won't be for a few months.

Transportation is a little different this time though. We're going by train.

It's a ten hour trip to Paris, with two train changes in Germany. But I'm not complaining, I think it's a blast, and it's nice spending time with Tobias, even if we are under Nita's watchful eye.

We left at 8am, and it'll be a long day. But we'll still arrive there at a decent hour. We've already taken the first two and a half hour stretch, and now we're just taking our seats on the next train.

We have a first class section and there are several of us seated here. Some of the cast and crew are joining Tobias and I. Sitting nearby is George, Nita, Amar and some others. Thankfully I secured a seat next to Tobias, but Nita is in the seat in front of us. So we'll have to be careful with too much PDA with her wandering eyes.

"Oh, hey guys." Nita greets us, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Hey Nita, how's it going?" Tobias says politely.

"Oh, well, pretty good. I mean, I could do without this damn cast, but otherwise I'm great." She smiles, leaning her arms on the backrest of her seat so that she's slightly closer to him, "How have you been? You look like you've gotten some sun, you're so tan..." She flirts, reaching forward, her fingers running up his forearm. But he steps back abruptly, "Please keep your hands to yourself Nita", he admonishes as he takes his seat and ignoring her touch. He begins buckling up his seatbelt as he adds, "I'm doing very good, thanks for asking." He adds before watching me take the seat next to him. His smile becomes more sincere as he looks at me, "Hey, did you bring Yahtzee?" He asks, referring to our conversation earlier of possibly wanting to play it.

I feel her eyes on me, but I answer him first. "Yeah, sure."

I glance in her direction and she's just watching me, so I decide to acknowledge her. "Hi, Nita. Excited for Paris? I can't believe we'll be living there for the next couple of months." I say with a smile, attempting to be outgoing and friendly towards her. Tobias casually reached over to take my hand in his, a gesture we do unconsciously lately.

"Yes, very excited." She replies, giving me a curt nod in greeting. Her attitude and jealousy is so apparent. "What is with the hand holding? It's against our contracts you know!" Nita seems to shriek at us.

"Actually Nita, if you read the revised contract that you signed recently, you will note that co-stars may date if they choose to, as long as they keep their PDA's minimal and it is consensual, meaning we want to and we are alone in this train car, so if I want to hold my girlfriend's hand, I will…" Tobias spits back, almost venomously.

I guess that was the extent of her socializing with me. Not that I'm complaining. But I was a little surprised at how Tobias was able shut her up. She turned back in her seat but it was obviously she was watching with envy.

I shrug it off and grab out my laptop as its just minutes later that the train takes off, at which point Tobias looks over at me, finally letting his smile out freely. I smile back, but give him a questioning look. What is he thinking?

"What?" I mouth quietly, for some reason feeling like I should whisper.

"I'm excited for Paris," he says, in reference to my question to Nita, but he's looking genuinely pumped up. "Not only are we going to be living there for the next couple of months, but filming in some pretty awesome places...and all the amazing French food...fuck, I'm excited!"

I can't help but grin, as I witness this cute behavior of his. But I have to bite my lip as I recall hearing him say fuck. I'm not usually that fowl mouthed myself, although I've never really been bothered by how others talk. But for some reason Tobias and his dirty mouth always seems to turn me on immediately. Even if it's a word out of context, it's still sexy rolling off his tongue and those gorgeous lips.

I look down at my lap, hoping I'm not blushing. But it's pointless worrying about that as he continues to speak to me.

"Plus, I'm really happy I get to sit by you for the duration of this trip." He adds, his voice becoming a husky, erotic whisper in my ear. "Fuck, you smell so good..."

I can tell he's stating it as a compliment, and not trying to be all sexy and seductive, but he is whether he means to or not. His breath on my neck sends a shiver down my spine and I have to suppress a moan.

I don't think he realizes the full effect he has on me, or he probably wouldn't be this cruel, getting me all hot and bothered, only to be stuck here on this train full of people for the next few hours. But he seems to have noticed the shiver and probably the flush creeping down my neck, because he tilts his head with a curious smirk, which does nothing to quell the passionate draw I have to him, the almost animalistic feeling of need to be with him.

But I try to mask my obvious desires and let him have a little of his own medicine.

I pull out my little travel-size Yahtzee and set the score pad down, before retrieving the dice from the little velvet satchel. I lost the little cup long ago, so I cradle the dice in my hand, palm up, and shake them around in a fluid fondling motion. The gesture is subtle and fairly innocent, but I know he'll catch it. He's observant, and I know he'll imagine my hand doing the same thing to his balls. I look up at him, my head tilted down slightly so that I'm looking up at him through my lashes.

Being flirty is waaaaay out of my realm, but I somehow manage it with him. Maybe it's the confidence he gives me. "Ready to play?" I ask innocently, "I'm sure ready."

I don't know if he takes my comment as a double entendre or if it's just my body language still, but his eyes flick from my hand to my face and I notice his jaw clench. He looks at me and I can sense how much he wants to kiss me.

Confirming my thoughts, his eyes glance down to my lips before looking back into my eyes with his deeply shaded blue ones that darken with each passing second.

"I'm always ready to play with you." He replies with a cheeky smile. We look around and notice that Nita seems to finally be looking away and we sneak a chaste kiss. It's obviously not long enough but still just as sweet.

As we each roll to see who gets a larger number to go first, I see him subtly adjust his jeans, drawing my attention to the slight bulge I notice pressing against the denim. I love that sight...and I love that I do that to him.

Remembering where I am, I quickly bring my attention back to the game, and take my turn first since I rolled a six and he a four.

I end up rolling four sixes and log it in the upper portion of the page, then attempt to hand him the dice.

But before I can drop them in his hand, he brings my hand to his mouth and kisses it.

"Have to kiss them for good luck and all." He says playfully before taking them and rolling for his turn. The touch is innocent enough, but it still sends a surge of tingles up my arm.

The game continues as the train speeds along, and we laugh quietly together when it eventually ends and he yanks the score sheet from my hand to double check my math. But he's grinning as he adds it up and verifies that I beat him by a mere two points.

"You're good Prior, I should have known." He comments with a smirk. Just as I wrap the game up, we begin to get a better view of the scenery outside. So we turn our attention to the wide windows, taking in the gorgeous views along the way, talking about all the fun things we could do in France if and when we happen to have some free time.

* * *

It's around dinnertime when we arrive in Paris. It's a slightly breezy night, so I put my army-green jacket over my flowing white top. Some might not think it goes very well with the ripped jeans and brown boots, but I dress for me, not them.

When we get outside we find there are a couple of cars waiting to transport us.

Waiting for Tobias, Nita and I, is Matthew. Apparently he's taking us all to the same location. So we load up the vehicle and Tobias offers Nita the front seat since it would allow the most room for her cast. After he climbs in the back seat with me, we take off.

I don't remember the name of the place we're staying, but I don't really care at this point. I'm in awe of my surroundings, of all the gorgeous charming buildings and landmarks surrounding me. Especially as they're all lit up with the city lights at night, illuminating everything in a dream-like glow. It's beautiful. I'm just so thankful and happy to be here.

The car comes to a halt alongside a tall cream-colored building with just as much ornate detail as the buildings surrounding it. "This is where we're staying?" I ask as we get out of the car and stand, looking up at the building. It's large, but doesn't seem busy enough to be a hotel.

"Yes, Ma'am." Matthew says with a smile.

I look over at Tobias to see he's taking in his surroundings with a smile of his own. But it's when we step closer do we realize that the entrance is not to a hotel after all, it's the main entrance to what appears to be an amazing Parisian flat.

"Welcome to your home away from home." Matthew says, handing us each a key. He must see my surprised face, because he says, "I assume Jeanine's assistant called earlier, she mentioned you and some of the main cast were sharing an apartment for the duration of the Paris filming?"

I look to Tobias for his answer. Did he get a call from Jeanine's assistant? Because I don't think I did. But he shakes his head. "We didn't really have cell reception at all on the train, so we didn't get any calls." He explains.

"I didn't have any either." Nita agrees, looking at Matthew with question. I notice when Nita is in closer proximity to more 'important' staff, her attitude adjusts.

"Oh, well, they decided that since filming time was extended, it just made more sense for the lead cast to share an apartment. Expense wise, it was cheaper. But don't you worry, this place is huge and has a ton of amenities." He smiles and holds his hand out, gesturing for us to lead the way. "I think you're really going to like it."

We step up and make our way to the entrance, where a doorman greets us.

Once we're up on the top floor, where we're apparently staying, Tobias gets out his key to unlock the door. But before he reaches it, the door bursts open, revealing a grinning Zeke standing there.

"Bonjour!" He greets us.

"Zeke!" Tobias says with a big smile as they go in for their signature handshake half-hug thing. Then Zeke turns to give me a friendly hug as well, then onto Nita.

"Glad you guys could finally make it," Zeke playfully scolds.

"When did you get here?"

"Flew in yesterday." Zeke replies, turning and leading the way into the foyer.

"Nice. Well, it seems we're really all living here under one roof?" Tobias asks.

"You got it rookie!" Zeke laughs, clapping his hands loudly once. "Mi casa es tu casa..."

"You're flipping from French to Spanish on us?" Nita teases, then shakes her head as she steps forward to walk through first. "Hier leben sollte interessant sein."

"Ich stimme zu." I say under my breath as I follow behind her.

We set our bags down off to the side for now, and Will comes in to see what all the excitement is about.

"Hey Will!" Nita greets, and from there we all go in for friendly hugs and say our hellos to him.

Then Matthew begins to show us the place, saying he will officially show us around and explain where everyone's rooms are.

He leads us straight ahead, and I see some sort of sitting room or study on the left, although it looks more like a library with the amount of books stocked in it. It seems to also have a small desk area in the corner if needed.

As we continue through, we're shown the large living room, with a beautiful fireplace and huge windows that overlook a gorgeous view. We also see the kitchen, as well as the breakfast area and a door beyond that. As we continue through, he points out a large dining room complete with a wet bar. Then through the main walkway, we see a small hallway, which leads to two smaller rooms, although they aren't really all that small. He explains that this is where Will and Al will be staying.

I instantly fall in love with the chic French style of the decor, but love that the space still feels warm and inviting. This is actually really cool in comparison to a hotel room, considering we'll be here for a couple of months. But at the same time... all of us staying here together… Really?

As we continue back through the foyer, we're shown a guest bathroom on the left, and a door leading to what Matthew says is the Master Bedroom reserved for "Four", although he doesn't lead us there yet, presumably saving the best for last. Instead he takes us down the small hallway to the right, which leads to two other bedrooms, each with a small attached bathroom.

"Tris and Nita, these are your rooms." Matthew says.

"I claim this one!" Nita says of the one in the corner as soon as she sees it's slightly bigger. I also notice it has a slightly bigger second closet and two windows instead of one.

"Well..." Matthew begins, seemingly about to explain further, but I decide to just make this easy for everyone.

"That's cool, I like the other one."

"I was going to say that Linda in HR informed me of your relationship, so if you two are sharing a room then that's fine too." Matthew adds, looking from me to Tobias. I swear if Nita's head wasn't attached, it would pop off in anger!

I can tell that Tobias is holding back a smirk, but thankfully he stays quiet.

I give him a small smile, I'm sure he knows exactly what I'm thinking- I'll probably be spending a lot of my time in the master bedroom with him anyway, so what does it really matter? Besides, even if that weren't the case, I'm not going to whine over whose room is slightly bigger, who cares? Nita can have it.

"Well, okay then. Or not, I don't want to assume…" Matthew says, spinning around the other way. "Shall we continue?"

Tobias gives me a smile and nod, before following him out.

Matthew just shows us to the master bedroom when his phone rings and he says he's got to go take it. So we finish the rest of the tour ourselves, taking in the nicely furnished master bedroom, which definitely has the biggest and comfiest-looking bed. Although the main room area doesn't seem all that much larger than Nita's or mine, the large attached dressing room and bathroom, complete with both a waterfall shower and fancy looking Jacuzzi, and it's own access to the balcony, which apparently wraps around the whole apartment. His is definitely the swankiest of rooms, but he deserves it, he is the star after all.

Tobias opens the door that leads out to the little terrace space with its lounge chairs right outside his door. It looks like the perfect place to sit out and sun bathe or read a book.

But what really catches our attention is the magnificent view. Which even happens to include the Eiffel Tower off in the distance.

"This place is incredible." I say, standing up against the railing, feeling the breeze rustle through my hair.

Tobias comes up beside me, taking in the view as well...although he's gripping the railing a little more securely than I am.

"Yeah, what a surprise, an apartment? But you're right, this place is really nice...I think we can handle it." He agrees, "If it weren't for the filming for 12 hours almost everyday, it might almost feel like a vacation."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nita on his other side, but she's taking a selfie in front of the view, doing her silly-looking fish-lips face for the camera, as usual.

"Well, we don't start until tomorrow. So you can pretend you're on vacation at least for tonight." I suggest with a teasing smile as I knock my hip into his playfully.

"Yeah?"

"Mmhmm." He leans down and kisses me, Nita oblivious as she continues her narcissistic photo session.

"Ahem," Zeke interrupts, causing us to both look over to see him and catch his smirk, "Alright, what do you guys say about heading out to grab some dinner? The group of us?" he asks, joining us out on the terrace. "There are lots of good restaurants within walking distance from here."

"I could definitely eat," Tobias says then glances at me, "What do ya say?" He asks me.

"Sure, sounds fun." I say, happy to explore a little more of Paris. And of course I'm happy to take the opportunity to spend more time with Tobias.

"You guys wanna go?" Zeke asks Nita and Will who are now chatting off to the side.

"Obvi," Nita replies, "but I have to change and freshen up, I'm all haggard from that train ride. There's no way I can go out like this."

"Uh, okay, so...how about we head out in a half hour?" Zeke suggests.

"I might be closer to an hour, my cast really slows me down." She says with a small pout, before brushing past us towards her bedroom. "I'll do my best!" She says over her shoulder before we hear her door close.

"Boy am I glad I don't have to share a bathroom with her," I say with a small chuckle, "Anyway, I'm actually going to go change too. And I can use this time to unpack."

"Yeah, probably a good idea, I should do the same." Tobias agrees and we go retrieve our bags and bring them to our rooms. He insists on carrying my larger of my two bags, even though he knows I can easily carry it. I think he just wants a moment alone with me, which I am quite all right with.

Once he sets it on the floor by the closet, he turns to me and smiles. He peeks over his shoulder towards the door to make sure nobody is around, then turns back to face me with a smile. He reaches out for my hands and holds them for a moment, just looking at me, before leaning down to sneak a quick kiss.

"If you're done early, you're welcome to come hang out with me."

"In your room?"

He nods. "Yeah. Well, I'd like to think of it as our room, you're obviously welcome there anytime. Besides, I think we'd both sleep better there snuggled up together, than separate rooms. Don't you think?" He says, bending down to press a couple kisses to my cheek and jaw.

I can't help biting my lip as I smile back, "That sounds nice, I like snuggling."

"To be honest, I didn't really until I met you." He replies with a chuckle.

"Really?" I scoff with a smile, "Well, I'm glad you do now, but is that really all you want to do in that humongous bed?" I ask boldly, giving what I hope is somewhat of a flirty, yet innocent look.

His left eyebrow quirks up, but I notice his deep intake of breath at my words, seemingly somewhat affected by them. "Fuck Tris... you have no idea all the things I'd like to do in there..."

Even though I was somewhat expecting an answer like that, I still break out in goose bumps hearing him say the words. His voice is a deep velvety warmth that takes over my entire body and makes me melt.

"The list is too long and we better get ready...but I definitely plan on showing you a thing of two later, if you'd like?" He asks, nibbling on my earlobe now as his hands remain grasping my hips. He pulls me slightly against him, letting me feel his length through his jeans. I can't help the slight moan that I emit when I feel it, and I feel it twitch at my reaction.

Ugh, this is going to be a long dinner...

* * *

It doesn't take me long to unpack, so I decide to take a quick shower as well. Once I have a little make up on and I'm dressed in my burgundy skinny jeans, white top and black jacket, I slip on some black ballet flats and deem myself ready to go. I head out of my room and see there's nobody around, except I hear Will and Zeke talking out in the living room. So I slip across the hall and knock gently on Tobias' door before letting myself in.

I find him in the dressing room sitting in a nice armchair chair, putting his shoes on.

"Hey." I greet.

"Hi," he says, looking me up and down with an appreciative smile, "You look nice."

"Hopefully casual is okay?"

"You're perfect." He says, standing from his seat after tying his last knot, and walking to meet me at the doorway where he leans down and brushes a kiss against my lips. "Sorry it's taking me so long, Zeke came in and grilled me for a bit." He chuckles. "But I'm almost ready."

He walks over and grabs a jacket from the closet and puts it on, then pockets his usual essentials; watch, wallet, phone and so on.

"What exactly was he grilling you about?" I ask with a hesitant smile... I think I already know the answer.

The look he gives me proves me correct. "He brought up me and you," Tobias explains, making his way over to the bed where he sits at the end of it. He pulls me to stand between his legs and looks up at me. "He noticed the way we looked at each other, and kissed earlier, he knew something had changed since he saw us last." He smiles at me, and I can totally picture Zeke giving him that signature-teasing grin in return as Tobias replied.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised." I chuckle.

"I hope you don't mind, I couldn't lie to him...I told him we're together. But he's one of my best friends; he'll keep his mouth shut. Besides, I had to tell someone. Well, besides just Linda with HR." He chuckles. "I'm really happy to be your boyfriend, and a part of me just wants to shout it as loud as I can from that terrace."

"I don't know if that's the best idea right now," I laugh, "But of course I don't mind you told him," I say truthfully, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I plan on telling Susan."

His response is an even bigger smile, before he suddenly lies back, pulling me on top of him, making me giggle.

We kiss for a couple of minutes and he tells me more about his conversation with Zeke. But not long after, we hear a knock on the door. So I hop up and run to the mirror to flatten down my hair and make sure I'm presentable, just as Tobias says, "Come in."

Zeke lets himself in then, his grin practically from ear to ear when he sees I'm here in Tobias' room.

"You guys ready? Nita's taking forever, I'm about ready to leave without her." He says, and I glance at the clock since it's been just over an hour.

"Yeah, we're ready." Tobias says, looking to me for confirmation, so I nod. He gets up, taking my hand as we make our way to the door. Zeke just smiles and shakes his head, turning to lead the way.

We find Will sitting on the couch waiting, and we all chat for a minute before Nita finally joins us.

But she seems to have put that hour to good use...she comes in with her perfectly styled up-do, flawless make-up that's heavy on the eyeliner, and wearing a blue dress with long sleeves and a plunging neckline, putting the ta-ta's on full display. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a nipple slip by the end of the night, but I don't think she'd care much. Nonetheless, she definitely makes me feel a bit underdressed in my jeans, considering she could pass off for formal if needed. But oh well, weren't we planning on walking to a nearby restaurant anyway? I personally wouldn't want to be in a dress and heels for that.

"Alright then...let's go." Zeke says once she's agreed she's got everything. "Let's get some grub people!" He announces as he practically skips out the door.

* * *

We end up at a cute little restaurant not far from our place, with a good-looking menu and casual yet sophisticated ambiance. It's a little on the pricey side, but still seems like a friendly family-run place. It's slightly crowded, but thankfully we easily get a large table. I think it helped that we missed the main dinner crowd.

We've just ordered our drinks, when I notice Christina and Lauren come through the entrance, looking a little lost. They notice us immediately and offer me a smile and I give them a small wave and smile in return. I look at Tobias, and find him watching me.

I know he knows what I'm thinking- I'd like to ask them to sit with us. But what I'm not expecting is for him to take the initiative. But it's probably for the best, as Nita probably would have argued the idea if I had been the one to bring it up.

"Hey, it looks like Christina and Lauren just came in, you care if we ask them to join us?" He asks our group.

"Of course not." Zeke replies.

"Sure. But who are they?" Will asks with a curious smile.

"Hair and make-up." Nita says, sounding indifferent.

"Oh, cool." Will adds as he notices Christina.

Tobias raises his hand and waves them over to us.

"Fancy running into you guys here." Christina says with a smile, "How's it going?" She asks, looking at me with a smirk. I wonder if she can see where Tobias' hand is resting on my thigh...

"Doing good, why don't you guys join us?" I reply.

She looks around the rest of the table, seemingly a little unsure at first, but she just sees a table full of smiles, so she nods and takes the empty seat next to Will.

Lauren greets everyone too and takes the last empty seat at the end of the table, before turning in her chair to checkout the waiter. I smile to myself and direct my attention back to Christina, who I realize is introducing herself to Will, who's looking at her like she's an angel. It's actually quite endearing, and I find myself smiling again as I watch them get lost in their own conversation almost immediately.

"How long do you think until they get together?" Tobias whispers in my ear.

I hold back my giggle and smile at him, "Not long."

"I know, I swear I think I just witnessed love at first sight." I hear the humor in his voice, but his statement catches me off guard for some reason. I turn to look at him, and he must sense it, because he looks up from his menu at me. My curiosity on the topic gets the best of me, so I just ask.

"Love at first sight? You actually believe in that?" I tease.

"Of course I do." He replies, holding my gaze, before the waiter Lauren had been talking to, interrupts to take our order.

"And for you, ma'am?" He asks me.

"Um," I glance back down at the menu, having been totally distracted and forgetting all about browsing the menu, "How about the beef filet with mushroom foie gras sauce." I request.

He nods and goes on to Tobias, who orders the rib eye and shredded potato gratin.

After that, Zeke reels us back into conversation, and I'm glad to catch up with him. He's fun to hang out with; I'm not surprised he and Tobias are such good friends.

Our food ends up being even more delicious than it sounded, and the evening continues to go well as we finish off our plates. Nita is even quite nice and sociable, thankfully not making any rude remarks. But that may also be because we're out in public. Although I'm glad the paparazzi aren't all that bad here, it's much different than LA.

Too stuffed to consider dessert, we pay the bill and head back to the apartment. Christina and Lauren are apparently staying in the building next to ours, so they walk with us back. I notice Christina and Will trade phone numbers as we depart, and I smile to myself again at the thought of them exchanging numbers after just one meal together. So adorable!

* * *

Once everyone is in bed with their doors closed, I wait a short while for everyone to hopefully fall asleep, before I sneak over to Tobias' room, just like he suggested. But it seems to be known around the apartment now that we're together so I have to think again about this sneaking around bit.

This time when I let myself in, he's just pulling the bed covers down, dressed only in his drawstring pajama pants. He looks up at the sound of me coming in, and he smiles widely.

"There you are." He says, as if he missed me for the 20 minutes we were apart while we got ready for bed. I chuckle and make my way over to him after locking the door behind me.

"Here I am. Ready to sleep in the biggest bed I've ever seen." I say, now realizing just how large it is as I climb on top of it. "Look at this thing, we could fit like, twenty of me in here."

I end up sprawling out with my arms and legs moving like I'm making snow angels, just to prove my point, as my hands and feet are still well away from the edges of the bed. But he just remains standing there watching me with that sexy smirk and his arms crossed.

"I don't want twenty of you though. So we'll have to think of better ways to make use of all this space."

"I thought you already had plenty of ideas..." I smile, referring to our earlier conversation. I feel my heart rate begin to pick up when I realize where this conversation is going.

He practically growls as he jumps on top of my stretched out body, and I try to keep my giggling quiet so nobody hears. "You're going to have to be quiet." He flirts with a wink, before leaning down to kiss me. I welcome his tongue as it tries slipping between my lips, and I tilt my head to allow him better access.

After a short while of making out, talking and grinding on each other, his kisses eventually move to my neck.

"Can I take these off?" He asks, referring to my pajamas, but he's already unbuttoning the short-sleeved top, starting at the bottom.

"You already know that answer." I say breathily with a smile as his lips begin traveling up as he exposes more and more skin.

Once my bare breasts are exposed to the cool air of the room, his perfect lips immediately warm them up again. He pays them equal attention before pulling back and looking at me with appreciation, "So beautiful..."

He keeps his eyes locked on mine as he works his way down.

He pulls down my matching pajama shorts, grunting sexily again when he finds me bare beneath them.

I'm already so turned on, I throw my head back and let out a low, soft moan as his two fingers find my anxiously awaiting core. He rubs me in a few deliberate circles, before he slips them slowly into me. He teases me for a moment, dipping his fingers in shallowly as he peppers gentle kisses around the area, but not quite reaching where I crave him to.

I can't help but slide my hips toward him to guide him to probe deeper and clench my inner walls to lock around his finger. His fingers twist and turn palm up, so that he can curl them just right, tickling that spot inside me just right.

I'm already quickly climbing to my orgasm when I feel him come face-to-face with me with his lips brushing delicately up against my lips. His gentle mouth pressing soft kisses on my mound before he asks, "You like this?" against my skin.

The anticipation and intensity of what I'm feeling is almost more than I can handle, so my response is an unequivocal, "Yes!"

He takes his free hand and bows my knee out a little further, spreading me even more for to him.

I'm almost embarrassed at how I feel as if I'm probably dripping with want for him, but his noises and actions just make me feel all the more desirable and sexy.

"You feel so amazing Tris...if you feel this good around my fingers, I can only imagine what you'll feel like around my cock." He murmurs before leaning his head down to swipe his tongue along me.

His words bring me even closer, and I find myself almost begging for him to fuck me. But his mouth is so distracting and wonderful; I can't seem to get any words out at the moment.

I open my heavy eyelids and look down at him where his face is between my legs, his messy hair sticking out in various directions, and those broad shoulders and muscular arms on full display. It's a sight I want to memorize forever.

But I get caught watching, as his eyes look up to me, and smile. It's not even his mouth that smiles, as it's busy at work on me. But his eyes, they smile back at me and convey so much with just a look.

And just like that, I'm pushed over the edge, my mouth falling open into an 'o' as the ripples of pleasure rip through me, and he's taking full advantage of lapping up every bit of it, prolonging it for me as long as possible.

He rests his chin on my mound afterward, looking up at me with a broad smile. "I love doing that."

"I love you doing that," I say with a lazy smile and he chuckles. And I love you, I almost say, which surprises me slightly. Although it shouldn't, I can't keep denying that my feelings are definitely there, they have been for a while I think. But it's probably too early in our relationship to actually say something like that, especially in a setting like this. I don't want him to think it's just because I'm wrapped up in the heat of the moment from his magical tongue.

Instead, I pull him up closer so that he's eye level with me, hovering over me. I kiss him, not caring that I taste myself on his lips. I need him.

"You want to know what your cock feels in there like now?" I bravely ask, hoping he says yes.

"I meant what I said, I can only imagine how amazing you'll feel." He says, kissing me briefly before pulling back and looking at me, "But I didn't mean it had to be tonight. We can wait as long as you want-"

"Tobias, do you want me? Please be honest." I ask.

"Yes, of course I do, but I want it to be special and romantic, I feel bad that this setting-"

"I want this. I want you." I interrupt, smiling at him as I reach down and push his pajama pants as far down as I can reach. "And you really think this isn't romantic?" I ask, gesturing around us. He's got the lights dimmed down low in this gorgeous room, and the curtains are pulled open over the large window so that we can see the gorgeous view of Paris with the Eiffel Tower off in the distance. "This is supposedly the city of love after all."

His smile grows then, and he dips down to kiss me again, deeper this time.

His penetrating gaze never leaves my eyes as he removes the rest of his clothing, then he sits back on his haunches looking at me, nude and spread before him. "I am the luckiest guy in the world, I hope you know. And I don't mean because of my money, or my career, or whatever most people would probably think."

"No?" I ask, swallowing hard, feeling a little emotional at his words.

He shakes his head in response, still looking at me with that loving expression, "I've been blessed with those things too, but you Tris, you take the cake. You're my true happiness." He says and I smile at him, feeling a little teary at his sweet words.

"And not just because of what we're about to do." he smirks, running his hands up my legs.

I laugh lightly as I wipe the corner of my eye, and then pull him down to kiss me.

I feel him against me, rubbing his cock against the slipperiness of my open lower lips, and I bite down lightly on his lower lip, loving the feel of being so intimate with him. But after a couple minutes of this, I'm feeling impatient and needy. He doesn't need to 'ready me up' any more, if that's what he's thinking,

My whimper must give him his cue thankfully, because then he's grabbing a condom and sliding it on.

I smile at him and he kisses me again, only to pull away a moment later. But just enough so that he can look into my eyes as he guides his tip to me, then continues to gently push his way in.

It feels amazing. A little sore at first since he's stretching me a bit more than I'm used to. Well, not that I'm 'used to' much, due to my limited experience. But he's definitely the bigger than the other boyfriend I've been with in this way. Although in the same respect, I'm also definitely more turned-on than I ever have in my life, so it's easier to acclimate. In fact, I have to bite my lip again to keep from moaning in pleasure from the feel of him as he fills me.

Once he's nestled deep inside, he rests his face in the crook of my neck, giving it soft kisses. He seems to be making sure I'm adjusted well before continuing, so I expose more of my neck to him and move my hips a little to encourage him.

"Mm...Tris..." He murmurs against my skin as he begins to draw out and push back in, starting a good steady rhythm.

He supports his weight on his left forearm as his right hand reaches down to caress my right breast as he continues kissing me. Whereas my one hand holds onto his muscular back, and the other one has moved on its own accord, reaching and grasping for his firm buttocks without me even realizing it.

We move together, moving quicker and harder the longer we go at it, the friction of our bodies together feeling more magical and pleasurable than anything I've ever felt.

Then we set frantic pace, both of us far too aroused to last for long.

He sits up slightly, getting a little deeper than before, and getting just the right angle. Then one...two... three thrusts in this position, and I'm seeing stars. I'm coming even harder than the first time, and it's all I can do to not go completely limp beneath him.

Instead, I throw the back of my hand against my mouth to muffle the noises I can't control emitting, and he picks up his speed, his skin slapping against mine as he pounds into me more erratically like he can no longer keep control, before his mouth drops open and I watch his sexy face contort in pleasure as he follows right after.

He collapses on me slightly, but I welcome the weight and feel of his firm body on top of mine. He rests his forehead against mine and lets out the most adorable little satisfied laugh. It's not a laugh like he thinks something is funny, but a deep lazy laugh of delight, Iike he's just experienced something wonderful. It makes my heart swell even more.

"You're amazing," he says before giving me a warm, firm kiss and rolling off of me. But he immediately pulls me with him so that I'm tucked into his side with his arm wrapped around me.

"You are." I whisper back, feeling so happy and sated. "Can I stay with you for a while?"

"Of course, you better stay all night."

So I do.

* * *

Unbeknownst to both Tris and Tobias, someone was lurking on the terrace. It does wrap around the whole apartment after all…


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: If you're on my email/follow list, s** **orry if it looks like I'm posting this chapter twice! I caught a typo in my Pinterest username at the bottom author's note! :-)**

 **Thank you SO much for your patience. Life doesn't allow me much time to write these days, but don't worry- I'm keeping this story going!**

 **This chapter is a bit all over the place, and feels like a bit of a filler, but it's long, and a heavy M/MA on the rating.**

 **Also, beware- I just wanted to get this posted ASAP, so it's unedited/beta'd!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent or any of its characters.**

* * *

 **Role of a Lifetime**

 **Chapter 15** **(Rated M/MA)**

 **Tobias' POV**

* * *

"You seem extra chipper this morning." Zeke comments with a grin as I make my way into the kitchen to get myself some water.

"Shut up." I chuckle, "I'm allowed to be in a good mood. First day filming in France after all."

He shrugs and takes another bite of his banana, dropping the topic, but I can tell her knows why I'm really in such a good mood.

The image of Tris' naked form tangled with mine, and the way she looked at me last night...well, it's still imprinted in my mind. Although it's definitely an image I plan on storing forever. I don't know if I've ever felt so loved before, despite her not having said the words.

I didn't realize while I've been stuck in my own thoughts, I've been staring at the kitchen counter with a smile on my face, until I feel a firm pat on my shoulder. "Already reminiscing? You're in deep." Zeke states with a teasing chuckle. He walks past me and towards his bathroom, presumably to shower and get ready for his day. His doesn't start for a few more hours, unlike mine.

I snag an apple from the bowl of fruit on the counter and take a bite, just as Nita strolls into the kitchen in just a robe and her hair wrapped up in a towel.

"Morning." she greets, and begins heating some water and grabs a tea bag.

"Morning." I reply.

"You have an 8am call?" She asks, glancing at the clock on the wall, leaning against the counter as she waits for the microwave.

"Yeah." I say and stand from the bar stool I was on, ready to exit now that she's here. I don't really want to sit here and make awkward small talk.

"That's cool. Well, good luck."

"Thanks." I reply and turn to leave, but she speaks up again, her voice pleading.

"And listen, I'm sorry to be such a trouble maker...I realize I can come off as kind of a bitch sometimes." She says, looking down as if this is something that's hard for her to say, "You and Tris...well, I'm just glad you seem happy."

"I appreciate that, thank you. And I am, very much."

She nods and goes to open her tea bag, so I turn and make my way down the hall towards my bedroom. She didn't try and flirt with me, which is a relief. But I'm still a bit surprised by her comment. She seemed serious, but she's a pretty good actress, so who knows.

When I enter my bedroom, I see Tris also walking out in her towel, her hair still wet from her shower. I stop and lean against the dressing room doorframe as I watch her.

Even though I've had sex with her twice in the past six hours, I feel my dick twitch when she bends over to grab the hairbrush she dropped. I don't even get a glimpse of much, except the lower portion of her gorgeous behind. But it's enough to have me thinking naughty thoughts of all the things we could do instead of going to make a movie.

Then her eye catches mine in the reflection of the mirror, and she smiles back. "Did you grab something to eat like you were going to?" She asks, seeing that I'm back only minutes later with nothing in hand.

"I started to, but I kind of ditched the kitchen once Nita joined me..." I say and she just chuckles.

"Surprisingly though, she made a comment about being happy for us...and I think she may have been telling the truth."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she even admitted to being an occasional bitch."

She snorts and continues to go about getting ready, which doesn't take her long since we're going to be made-up for the scenes soon anyway, she doesn't bother with make-up or anything. Not that she really even needs it.

We ride the elevator down and I'm thankful for the opportunity to hold her hand while we've got some privacy.

I set down our gym bags that have a change of clothes and a few other essentials for a long day of filming, and gratefully pull her to me for a quick kiss. She wraps her arms around my waist, so I wrap mine around her shoulders, holding her close. She rests her chin on my chest as she looks up at me. "I'm a little nervous." She admits.

"Don't be, you're going to do great." I assure her, kissing her forehead.

She smiles, "I'm also excited though. Our first scene is where our characters meet, I have to pretend like I don't know you."

"You think you can handle it?" I tease, "You already pretty much know me better than anyone else. You'll have to convince others you don't."

Which is true, I've never been such an open book before. But when I'm around her, I just feel like I can truly be myself, holding nothing back. I share everything with her. I love that.

She looks at me curiously, but with her beautiful lips turned up in a sweet smile, like she's touched at my statement, but unsure if it's an exaggeration or not.

I just shrug, but can't help the curve of my own smile as I add, "That's a good thing though, right? That's how it's supposed to be when you're in-" but just then the elevator doors open, revealing a slightly-panicking Matthew who's pacing while he's on the phone.

"...a relationship." I finish my sentence lamely, knowing full well that isn't what I was actually going to say. But the moment was interrupted. I guess maybe that's a sign it's too early to blurt those words out, even if I know it's true. I don't want her to think I throw those 4-letter words around lightly, or scare her off if she thinks it's too soon.

We release our arms from around each other and step out of the elevator before it closes on us. We stand there with Matthew, who turns to face us, covering the phone as he speaks, "Your transport car still isn't here, I don't know what's going on." He says apologetically, as if it's his fault.

"No worries man, we'll get it figured out." I reply.

Feeling eyes on me, I glance at Tris who is still looking at me curiously. It's then, as I gaze back into her hypnotizing eyes, that I realize no matter how good of an actor some might say I can be, there's a major lack of skill there when it comes to me being around Tris Prior. She's the exception, she just... undoes me. She makes me feel like a bowl of jello, yet at the same time, like I can conquer the world. It's such a weird combination. Bottom line is though, I couldn't fool her if I tried. And I think she knows exactly what I was about to blurt out back there in the elevator.

It's a little unnerving that she can see through me so well, yet at the same time, I love that she knows me so well...that she pays so much attention to detail and seems to truly genuinely care. It's like a connection on a whole other level.

So to confirm her possible suspicions and appease her mind, and to hopefully reveal how much I deeply care for her, albeit a bit indirectly, I lace my fingers and whisper in her ear, "See what I mean? You know me better than anyone."

A slow grin takes over her face and she looks down shyly, "Ditto."

We end up taking a cab to our destination. Matthew doesn't say anything about it, but seems surprised that Tris suggested it so casually, and that I agreed so easily.

Were taken to a brief meeting on-set with George and his immediate crew, before we're whisked off to a large trailer for hair and make-up.

As we step inside, Christina and Lauren greet us and have us each take a seat after we're changed into some robes.

Tris sits in her chair beside me getting her hair brushed by Lauren, watching me with an amused smile as Christina gives me a quick light coat of some sort of powder with a large makeup brush, and then a few touch-ups here and there with a smaller brush.

"Are you enjoying this?" I ask with a playful scowl, although to be honest, the sound of her giggle turns me on.

She tries and fails to stifle the beautiful sound as Christina surprises me by swooping in with some sort of lip balm, which she dabs on my lips with her fingertip.

"Really?" I mumble as she still dabs my bottom lip.

"What? Your lips are a little chapped, we can't show that in the scene." Christina smiles innocently.

"I could have just put my own Chapstick on." I say, suddenly realizing this horrid goopy stuff tastes like crap. "This fucking tastes like bubblegum."

They laugh and Christina shrugs, "And miss this opportunity? Ha! No way." She says with a wink towards Tris, who I notice is blushing. "Perfect lips, am I right?" I get the feeling Christina's playful flirting is more to tease Tris than anything, so I chuckle along.

"You think I'm kidding?" I ask Tris with a laugh, "You taste this goop!"

She's not expecting it when I leap from my seat and practically lunge at her, planting my lips firmly on hers, letting her get a full taste of this ridiculous lip gloss, while also getting to feel her luscious lips on mine, if even for a brief moment.

She shrieked and laughs as she tries to playfully pull away, but I know I'm not imagining it when she kisses me back, or the way her eyes light up with laughter as I pull away to sit back in my chair and she grabs a tissue from the nearby Kleenex box to wipe the shiny gloss that's smeared on her mouth. "You're ridiculous." Tris tells me.

"Yeah. you're going to make us late!" Christina chides, but she's laughing too.

"It's your own damn fault." I counter with a grin, then glance at Lauren who just continues working on Tris' hair, but she's shaking her head and smiling in amusement too. "Besides, it's adding realism to the character, it's very likely Four would have chapped lips in this scenario. I mean, he did just sleep on a park bench." I explain.

Still wiping at her mouth, Tris giggles and playfully kicks at my chair, which makes me spin slightly. It just spins me to face her more. But now it's giving me an even better view of her bare legs beneath that plush white robe, that comes almost mid-thigh when she's sitting.

I wonder what kind of panties she's wearing under there...or maybe not any? For some reason I doubt that, but I'm not so sure...focus Tobias!

Before I end up embarrassing myself with a hard-on in front of everyone, I turn my chair forward again. I smile when I make eye contact with her in the mirror, but we all continue to make light hearted conversation after that.

Thankfully it takes all of about two minutes before Christina claims my face is camera-ready. And when I look at myself in the mirror, I'm glad to see I don't actually appear to really be wearing make-up. She did really well to make it look natural.

She moves on and begins apply make-up on Tris, and it's not long until Lauren is done with Tris' hair, so she moves on to my own, which I'm glad doesn't take very long.

Once we've finished in there and switched into wardrobe, we make our way to the side of the street where they've set up our first scene.

We're filming slightly out of order, as today we're doing the car scene where Four convinces Harper to give him a ride for money.

Then tomorrow we'll be doing the U.S. Consulate scene, which requires a lot more physical acting on my end, as I've got several fight scenes and parkour work.

I look around as I take in the crew, jogging this way and that, setting up cameras and other various equipment.

George comes and talks with us right away, running through the first bit we'll be filming.

"Alright Tris, to reiterate, Harper is exiting the building, she approaches her old beat-up little car. And to make her worse, she finds a parking ticket on her windshield." He begins, directing her towards the car they've set up with the piece of paper under the windshield wiper.

He then goes on to explain how the rest of the scene will play out with my character approaching Harper. He also explains where to start and stand and so on, giving us pointers on how he wants her react to Four's offer.

Thankfully George is very easy to work with, and communicates well. As we get set-up for the shot, everything feels good, and I can tell Tris' nerves are wearing off.

We do a run-through, then begin our first real take with these new slightly altered lines. I get into position off the side and Tris gets into place. I can see her offering me a somewhat nervous smile even from this far, and I give her an encouraging grin back.

"Action!" George announces

I watch as Tris- or rather, Harper comes out of the building, doing her best to seem thoroughly annoyed and frustrated over her predicament, approaches her little red car, of which as she gets closer, she sees the ticket in the parking windshield.

"Motherfucking sonsofbitches!" She exclaims in her German accent. She grabs the ticket and tears it up, throwing the pieces on the ground and stomping on them and then, looking up, she sees Four.

"What are you looking at?" she asks, looking at me standing across the car on the passenger side.

"I need a ride."

"What?"

"I need a ride out of here.

"Oh geez..." she replies, backing away and I interrupt on cue-

"Please. I don't want to scare you."

"It's a little late for that."

"I've got a situation here and-"

"Get the fuck away from my car."

"I'll give you ten thousand dollars to drive me to Paris."

"Great. You know what? I'll give you ten gazillion dollars to get the fuck away from me before I start screaming my head off."

"You don't want the police any more than I do."

I toss toss cash, a stack of hundreds, across the car into her hands and she catches it. Looks at it.

"I..."

"Get me out of here. Please."

She looking at me. At the money. Back at him, and -"

"Cut!" George says with a wide smile and a clap of his hands. "Excellent job Tris, Tobias. Truly excellent." He says, and I to am surprised we did so well our first take. But that by no means stops George from running through the scene several more times, capturing different angles and changing a few things here and there. But once they get the shots they want, they move onto the next segment. Which is us in the car, conversing about our plans, and Four explaining to Harper of his amnesia, and trying to convince her he's telling the truth.

We laugh and end up scraping several takes, but that's expected. Who knows, maybe they'll make a blooper reel.

Overall, the morning and afternoon go smoothly, and we continue to work on into the evening.

Today proves even more, how much I really like working with Tris. Not only is is an incredible actor, but she's very professional when it comes to her taking direction and doing her job. Yet she's still laid-back and silly, which makes it fun. She's just really positive about everything, and I can tell it rubs off on people. I'm convinced she improves the mood of most people she encounters, and when you have tons of crew and extras hard at work for this many hours, her good attitude and jovial spirit makes a huge difference with morale.

Yet again, it's been difficult keeping a friendly distance. It's been driving me crazy! Not being able to hold her hand, or kiss her when she smiles at me with the fucking perfect lip caught in her teeth. But I did take advantage of giving her a congratulatory hug whenever we wrapped up a segment, or really, whenever I found an excuse to make it appropriate and not draw attention to the many people around us. I kept it looking friendly, but couldn't help taking in the smell of her hair, or giving her a meaningful squeeze. I'm such s fucking sap.

When 8 o'clock rolls around, and they tell us it's a wrap and we're good to go home, I'm anxious to get going.

"Hey, good job today guys." George tells us as we gather our bags. "You two...well, let's just say, even though we've added Nita's character Nicki to the mix, I still consider you two my main couple. I think you're going to be the fan favorites. Your chemistry is... raw and real. You make it very believable. Keep up the good work." He compliments with a wink, patting us each on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow kids."

Before we even have a chance to reply, he gives us a smile and walks away.

I look to Tris, who just raises her eyebrows at me with a smile, obviously a bit surprised by George's words.

"So I didn't totally blow it!" She says with an excited smile as we make our way to the vehicle that'll take us back to the flat.

"You're taking all the credit?!" I tease.

"Oh shut up!" She laughs.

"Seriously though, you did great. Like I said earlier, you're a natural." I say with a smile. "You bring a whole new spirit to the character.

She smiles and steals a quick peck on by cheek before we head to or awaiting car.

But as we're driving back, I'm still thinking of George's words. I can't help but still be a little bitter towards the writers and production team. I'm disappointed with how they wrote Nita's character Nicki back into the story like they did.

Her character works for the CIA, although she doesn't do field work. She's part of the team try to find him, but she ends up helping him out. And apparently they thought they'd make it more interesting, by making it so that she has a past with Four.

But especially after his amnesia and meeting Harper...I don't think he'd really consider it to be a hard decision if he had to choose between the two of these women he supposedly has feelings for.

I know they're just trying to make money, this is the film industry after all. So they don't want to drop one of the originally agreed upon (and publicly announced) big famous actresses, or give her too small of a part. She's a big celebrity, therefore will draw more attention and business.

So they've written her broken leg into her characters part, and made Four's love life a little more complicated by bringing her into the mix. I'm not looking forward to filming those days...

The movie leaves us somewhat hanging, in hopes of a sequel. But I thankfully get the feeling he's leaning towards Harper the entire time, at least that's the vibe I get from the script, and how I'm hoping to portray his feelings throughout. I think it's only natural...considering the two women I'm acting with.

When we get back to the apartment, we're not sure what to expect...will everyone be home? Will they be awake? Out on the town, even though it's a weeknight?

What we're not expecting to come 'home' to, is a dining room full of rowdy people playing cards around a large bowl of snacks.

"Hey!" We get greeted by them in unison as we step into the room.

"How did it go today?" Zeke asks, who's sitting between Will and Al. It's a good thing this is a large table, because it also sits Peter, Al, Chase, Christina and Lauren.

"Hope you don't mind we invited a few people over." Will adds, smiling at us, then at Christina.

"Of course not." I say to Will, then turn to Zeke, "Went good, thanks." I say with a nod, just as he points to the empty chairs.

"Why don't you tell us about it over another round of seven-card stud?" Zeke says with a grin.

Tris chuckles as Christina yanks her down into the seat next to her. "C'mon guys, you gotta play." She says.

I look to Tris who just smiles and shrugs, so I sit down beside her and accept the beer Al hands me.

"Thanks, man." I say, clinking the bottle neck with his before taking a swig and offering some to Tris. She takes a sip and catches me watching as she wraps her lips around the bottle's mouth. She hands it back, smirking at me before reaching her long fingers for the cards she's been dealt.

"How you guys been?" I ask, looking to Peter, Chase and Al, who I haven't seen in a while.

They briefly catch me up on what they've been up to his week, before getting distracted by Zeke dealing the cards.

"You two got here quick." Tris teases Christina and Lauren. After all, they were on set with us almost all day today. They couldn't have left to much earlier than us.

As I reach for my own cards, I notice Christina smiling out of the corner of my eye. "Yeah, Will texted me on our way back to our place...we came straight here."

"Where's Nit-" Tris begins, but it is cut off by none other than the woman herself.

"Phone interview done, and Nita is back." She says, speaking of herself in the third person, as she takes the empty seat to my left, between Al and I. "Oh hey guys, didn't hear you come in." She greets us with a smile.

"Filming go well today?" She asks, bumping shoulders with me in a playful manner, smiling as if she's happy with the hand of cards she got.

"Yep." I reply, taking another pull of my beer.

"How'd the rookie do?" Zeke asks me with a grin, then looks to Tris, "What an I saying?" He asks, correcting himself. "I bet you fucking owned it." he tells her.

Tris laughs lightly, if not a little uncomfortably. She's never sure how to handle compliments, but I think it just makes her all the more adorable.

"She did fucking own it, she's a natural. She's very captivating on camera, even George said so." I say, putting my arm around her chair.

"Enough about me." Tris chuckles, looking to Zeke. "You should have seen this elderly lady, she some how wondered on set from the sidewalk, and just walked up to Tobias for an autograph. She didn't know we were mid-scene." She laughs lightly, looking at me with amusement, before looking at the rest of the group. "She seemed embarrassed once she realized what was going on, but she was too sweet for George to care." She explains and everyone laughs along with her story. I can't help but chuckle too as I recall the moment, but I'm more focused on Tris, and the way she tells the story...the way her eyes light up, and her rosy lips form that beautiful smile.

"I bet Tobias didn't turn her away either." Zeke comments.

"Really?" Nita asks, surprised.

"Nope. He was as gracious as ever, taking pictures with her and all. He's quite the charmer." Tris smiles, holding back her giggles as she looks at me.

"Was she hot?" Al asks.

"Tris said she was elderly." Will reminds Al, and Christina about chokes on her drink as she giggles.

Al's pink cheeks show me he's a little embarrassed by his comment, but everyone's looking to me, like I'm supposed to verify how old this woman was.

I shrug and smile, "I couldn't turn her away, it was literally her 80th Birthday. That's something to celebrate!"

Zeke laughs and looks to Tris, "Yes, your man is quite the charmer...he can even reel in the...cougars? Is that what they're calling it?"

"Gross!" Christina say and Lauren makes a noise as she scrunches up her nose.

"You know who looks super hot for their age..." Nita begins, and from there, the conversation just gets more off topic. But thankfully we keep each other laughing.

But by 11 o'clock, we're several poker games in, and Tris has scooted much closer to me, practically leaning on me. But it seems it's as much out of affection as it out of mere comfort to her exhaustion, as she seems to be struggling to keep her eyes open. But I'm wiped out from that long day too, and am already tired enough for bed, so I figure we better call it a night.

"You ready to hit the hay?" I whisper in Tris' ear and she nods.

"Actually, I think we're going to head to bed. It was a long day, and we've got several more ahead of us." I tell the others as Zeke shuffles the cards.

"Such early birds!" Shauna teases.

"Or they can just think of better things to be doing." Christina mumbles, and I notice Tris elbow her, but she's smiling none the less. I guess Christina really has caught on to our relationship status. But it's not like we've been hiding it all that much in front of her today.

"Goodnight everyone." Tris says, then gives my thigh a squeeze before standing up.

I stand as well and push my chair in, grabbing my empty beer bottle to toss in the garbage in the kitchen.

"See you tomorrow." Christina says and the others murmur similar things.

Once we've made it back to my bedroom...well, our bedroom...we begin pulling off our dirty clothes to get ready for bed. "I think I need a quick shower." I say, not wanting to get into the clean bed all sweaty and sticky from my day. I probably don't smell so great either.

"Yeah, I could use one too." She agrees, kicking off her pants, before dropping her last remaining garment- her panties, with her back to me. Fuck, look at her bend over...

And just like that, I'm hard for her. Which isn't difficult to notice as I'm already standing here in the nude and she's only standing about eight feet away, at the foot of her side of the bed. So if she turns around, she'll notice. But it's too hard to control, every time I see that gorgeous pus-"

My thoughts are interrupted as she stands back at full height and turns to face me, placing her hands on her hips. My eyes rake up from her womanhood, taking in the rest of her exposed skin. She knows exactly what she's doing. I see that little smirk of hers. But fuck, is it working.

She simply stands there, boldly displaying herself to me as if we've seen each other like this a hundred times. Sure, we're accustomed to each other now, but this is still so surreal to me. This is really her...standing here, naked with me, with that fucking perfect little mouth smiling at me as she gifts me with the presence of her natural breathtaking naked form. I allow myself a glance down at her pink little suckable nipples that sit atop those delectable breasts, but I can't help it when the continue their route down to the smooth skin of her stomach... and down, down, down... until I can again, finally see that perfect little slit, which is practically calling out my name. Well, shouting really. Or at least that's what I feel like it's doing. I'm so completely drawn to her, and I crave to know all of her. Every inch of that body, and everything about her. I already feel like I know her so well, and she definitely knows me more than anyone else by now with how much I've shared with her. But I...want more. I think I want all of it, with her. Like, putting a ring on it and making' babies and all of that stuff. People would probably roll their eyes if they could read my thoughts right now, especially considering how long we've been together, but as I glance back up into her sparkling eyes, I'm confident that those are the only ones I want to be looking into if I ever stand at an alter saying my vows. The only one I want to mother my children one day.

"I assume you don't mind if I take a shower in here with you?" She asks with a giggle, eyes flickering down to my aching cock that stands at full attention, before she looks back up into my eyes. In hers, I not only see the radiant color and beauty in them that practically hypnotizes me, but I see the desire that reflects my own. She wants me too.

"Rest assured my dear, I will never decline you of that." I reply, taking only a couple strides to reach her, my hands immediately finding their place on her hips.

"You looked deep in thought there for a moment." She says, smirking, but looking genuinely curious.

I shrug, "Just appreciating the view...and re-confirming it's my favorite one."

She laughs and briefly looks down, almost shyly, before leaning up on her tip toes to kiss me.

I happily accept and pull her against me as I slant my mouth against hers in a searing kiss. Some sort of noise comes from my throat as my erection presses against her, just as I hear a soft little mewling sound come from her. I feel her fingertips work their way into my scalp and she tugs lightly on the hair at the back of my head, making goosebumps spread across my skin.

My hands wander down to cradle her butt and encourage her to hop up and wrap her legs around me. She does so easily and begins kissing my neck as I walk us towards the bathroom.

I love the feel of her wet heat pressed bare against me, especially with how's she's clinging to me like a life preserver, and the feel of her sucking on my collar bone is like icing on the cupcake.

She then leaves kisses and licks her way up to my ear, almost distracting me enough for me trip over the rug on our way through the dressing room. But I recover well, and she just giggles and keeps up her kisses until we reach the shower, which I reach in and turn on, in order to get the water warmed up.

With my dick still bobbing up against her sweet little behind, and her arms around my neck, I walk her towards the bathroom counter and perch her on the edge of it.

I'm thankful for the simplistic design of this place, as the lack of counter clutter helps for what I'm about to do. "Lean back, baby." I tell her after kissing her, guiding her hands back behind her to prop herself up. I bend down and bring each of her taut nipples into my mouth for a moment, before working my way down, and bending down before her. I guide her legs to rest of my shoulders, as I kiss her inner thighs.

I glance up at her to see her watching me intently, her breathing is heavy and I admire the rise and fall of her chest from this angle...she's so fucking gorgeous.

"I'm probably all sweaty and-" she warns, obviously a little self conscious.

"Shush. Relax and enjoy." I assure her with a smile.

I ease forward and my tongue slips through her folds, dipping inside her before teasing her throbbing button of pleasure. When I make contact, she releases a shuddering groan that causes my balls to tighten. I love her responsiveness. In all my lust-filled daydreams of the two of us together, I never envisioned that she'd need me as much as I need her.

I draw her clit between his lips and she cries out, and again I feel her fingers in my hair, nails scraping my scalp.

I slip two fingers inside, hoping to seek out the other little spot that will make her squirm with pleasure, but I get distracted by how good she feels wrapped around my fingers, her warm velvety walls clenching around them. My cock twitches again, and I have the ridiculous realization that it's possible for one body part to be jealous of another. But I'm not giving in quite yet, I'm on a mission.

She moves against my hand mindlessly, seeking her release, and just as I feel her starting to build up, my mouth joins in the fun again, diving in to lick her as I crook my fingers just right.

With that, she's clenching and shuddering and chanting my name as she rides it out, and I smile against her, loving every moment of doing this and loving that I can make her come apart like this. Her back arches and her hair falls off her shoulders, revealing her nipples that stand at attention.

I ease her legs down and stand back up. Unable to stand it any longer, my right hand reaches down to stroke myself a few times as my left hand slides up her leg and to her waist, my thumb grazing back and fourth over her hip bone.

She smiles lazily at me and reaches for me, seemingly purposefully pulling my junk against her now soaking core. So I grip the base of my cock and rub it against her, which is such an agonizing yet wonderful tease. I'm about to finally slip in, when an important thought finally occurs to me.

No protection. Shit. Fuck. Damn.

"Tris, I forgot I don't have a condom in here."

She waves an arm at me weakly. "I'm on birth control..."

My dick twitches at her insinuation that she wants to go without.

She's considering this? We did have the talk of how we've both been recently tested, and we're both clean...but I don't want her to regret anything. I know I won't, that's for sure. She's the only person I've trusted enough to consider this, and I already know my answer. But I want her to be sure.

"I can grab one if you prefer-" I begin, but she reaches down and strokes me with her soft little hand.

"I've never minded condoms that much...but with you...well, I just want to feel all of you." She says, easing her hips so that she slides over the tip of me a little. But from where I'm standing, that's as far as she can get. "Please?"

As if I could say no to her even if I wanted to...

I step forward, and since we were already lined up, I end up sliding in with the forward movement.

She's the first person I've been with bare like this, and it's almost too much to handle. I have to hold still for a moment so that I can make this last a little longer.

I drop kisses onto her shoulders before framing her face in my hands and drawing her mouth to mine.

"This is the first time I..."

"Me too." She says, smiling at me lovingly. "Does it feel okay?" She asks, making me scoff. Could she really doubt that it doesn't?

"Are you kidding? You feel incredible. I feel every bit of you..." I say, rolling my hips to move inside her. She's soft and and warm and wet. Her muscles wrapped around me tightly feels so damn good.

I pick her up and again her legs wind around me automatically, as I carry her to the now steamy shower. I make sure it's not too hot for her, before stepping in and standing us beneath the rainfall shower.

I hold her butt cheeks to keep her steady as I thrust in and out, picking up speed.

I end up making love to her like that for several minutes, before I take her against the wall of the cool tile, then I sit on the little shower bench where she rides me with the water cascading down her back. Her breasts may be on the small side, but fuck are they perfect. They're perky and beautiful and I love how they glisten with water. I also love how close they are to my eye level with her in this position, so I pay them plenty of attention in between kisses.

She tilts her hips into just the right position, moaning as the shaft of my penis stimulates her clit. I follow the sound of her voice with a deep moan of my own, my release becoming imminent.

I grab hold of her butt, and help guide her up and down as I thrust upward, going even deeper and faster than before. I almost lose my rhythm and fall off the bench, but I manage to stay sturdy and drive into her a few more times, causing her to cling to me and bite lightly on my shoulder as I feel the waves of her pleasure roll through her body. But it seems she's taking me with her.

"I'm coming!" I warn her for some reason, even though we mutually seem to want to stay connected as long as possible. So I kiss her, my tongue delving into to dance with hers as I continue thrusting, milking out our orgasms as much as possible.

Even afterward, once our movement has ceased, we remain locked together like this. Me still on the bench, her still straddling my lap with her legs around me, our centers still connected as one.

Her lips are slightly swollen, and her chest heaves slightly, as does mine. "I guess I should get you cleaned up, it seems I made a bit of a mess." I say with a lopsided smile.

She grins at me, "Okay. But for the record, I kind of like your mess."

Her words make me stiffen a little more inside her, and I let out that what she calls my 'sexy growl' (which mind you, wasn't a noise I made before her) and kiss her again, before diving to attach my lips to her neck.

She giggles and squeals lightly as I stand, lifting her with me. I stand us beneath the water and bring her carefully to her feet. She reaches up and runs her hands through my wet hair, looking at me with adoration.

"I've never showered with a guy." She admits as I begin lathering the soap over the curves of her shoulders. She leans into my touch and I press a kiss to her forehead.

I grin, selfishly happy to hear those words. "Me either."

She laughs and shakes her head. "I guess I should be relieved?"

"Or a woman for that matter." I add with a smile. "Well, I did a shower scene in a TV show once, but we were clothed from the waist down." I clarify. "Does that count?"

"Not really." She says, furrowing her eyebrow, "So long as you didn't do the same thing that we just did."

"No," I laugh, running my hands down the slope of her back and over the roundness of her buttocks before sliding to the front to work my way up. "I've never been in one of those kind of movies."

Her cheeks flush a little, but she laughs and gives me an adorable look.

We wash up a bit more between shared kisses, while still being pretty handsy. When we're drying off, she comes up behind me and kisses between my shoulder blades and wraps her arms around me. That leads to me turning in her arms and kissing her, wanting to show her the same affection and love she's showing me.

I end up showing her more thoroughly, twice more in bed that night.

* * *

The next morning, I wake up bright and early, even though we're not called to set until 10am. But being that I've been in such a routine of getting up early, I can't seem to go back to sleep. After laying in bed for about an hour, just holding Tris, and admittedly- admiring her sleeping form for a few minutes, I decide to slip out of bed. She seems so tired and content sleeping, I don't want to wake her. So I decide to treat her to breakfast in bed.

I slide on some jeans and a t-shirt, and throw on some shoes. Once I've pocketed my phone and wallet, I go out to the study to find a piece of paper and a pen. I write her out a note in case she wakes up, and on my way back to her room, I bump into Zeke.

"I'm heading down to that cafe down the street. Wanted to bring Tris some coffee and croissants in bed."

His eyebrows shoot up and he smirks. I'm confused at first, until I realize how I just sound. I don't usually make gestures like this for people. "Bringing your girl breakfast in bed? How sweet. Mind if I join you?"

I give him what he calls my Four look, even though I know what he means. He chuckles, raising his hands. "Not in bed, dumbo. To the cafe."

"Sure, why not."

"Good, I'm craving one of their scones. I'll be right back." He says, turning towards his room. I head back to mine, leaving the note on the nightstand. I head into the bathroom to relieve myself and brush my teeth, before heading back over to the large bed.

I lean over to where she's sprawled across my side, looking over her to make sure she still seems to be enjoying her rest. I plant a few soft kisses to her cheek and forehead.

"I'm heading to the cafe with Zeke, I'll be back in a few minutes." I whisper, even though she probably can't hear me. I place one more kiss to the soft skin of her hand where it's resting beside her on the pillow, then turn to go, closing the bedroom door behind me.

The cafe is less than a five minute walk, and I'm glad for it. This place has a huge variety of pastries and other delicious looking things. No wonder they're so busy. Zeke and I catch up while we wait in line, and then the sweet older lady, who thankfully speaks English, bags up my croissants and tells me my coffees will be up in a moment. Zeke orders his as well, and steps aside with me to wait.

While we're leaning against the wall near the counter, we hear an unfortunately familiar voice behind us.

Nita comes up to say hi, surprised to run into us here. She's in her hot pink jogging shorts and Nike top, although she doesn't look like she's been working out, she looks freshly made up.

"I was just going for a run, but decided to stop for a drink." She says. "How ironic bumping into you guys here!"

I can't help but wonder how ironic that seems to be...but I guess this really is the most appealing place within a few minutes walk of the apartment.

We make small talk with her for a few minutes, and it's only partially awkward. Thankfully she mostly talks about her shopping spree, so I zone a lot of it out.

"Oh my gosh, is that-" I hear to my left, the voice coming from a girl probably around our age, with what appears to be her mother. "Are you Nita Paolos?" She asks, as if she's not believing her eyes. But before Nita can reply, she's turned to me, "And you're...Tobias. Tobias Eaton."

I give her a tight lipped smile, but add a friendly nod. Despite my career, I'm not one to draw attention to myself. Or at least I don't prefer to out in public like this. But I also appreciate my fans and don't usually mind a few pictures or whatever. As long as they're cool about it and it doesn't get too out of hand.

She looks to Zeke and recognition seems to hit her again, but she seems to be drawing a blank.

"You're..."

"Zeke. Zeke Pedrad." He introduces himself, reaching out his hand with a friendly smile. He's always been outgoing and friendly, easily making people feel comfortable.

I shake her hand too, as well as her mothers. Then they share a little hug with Nita, who also does her little air-kiss thing. So stupid.

Zeke heard his name being called for his drink order, so he turns away to grab it, just as these girls, who we learn are on vacation from Tennessee, ask us to take pictures.

We oblige, stepping off to the side, out of the way of people. But I don't like how Zeke hasn't returned to be apart of this, and how suddenly Nita is sliding under my arm, essentially draping mine over her shoulder. "Sorry, I don't want my crutches in the picture." She explains to me, as if that's why she's holding onto me like this. But before I can remove myself, the camera clicks and snaps a picture of us.

"That's so sweet you're bringing croissants to Tris by the way." Nita says to me, and for some reason the words sound so sincere, and just the sound of Tris' name makes me begin to smile. But then I realize the position and situation I'm still in, and remove my arm from around her. Instead, I distance myself from Nita and wave the daughter over to step into the shot with us.

My plan works well, as she shyly steps forward with a grin after handing the phone to her mother. The girl stands between us and I put my arm around her too, so that it's clear that I do that in pictures with practically everyone. She takes a couple of photos like that, before Zeke finally comes over. She gets one solo picture with him, then they thank us for our time and tell us what big fans they are. Once they're done and we're free to go back, I glance around and notice a few other people watching us with curiosity. Probably wondering why these strangers were taking pictures with those people. Or maybe they recognize us too?

I give a small smile to them and grab my drinks and bag, before leading the way out of the cafe, knowing Zeke is behind me, and not caring if Nita is.

Once we're out in fresh Parisian air, I take a deep breath. I know I shouldn't be so annoyed with Nita. After all, if it were any other co-star with me in that situation, we would have probably taking a photo in the same position. It's often standard protocol for pics, especially in this business. But with her and her track record, it just felt like I was encouraging her behavior and possibly putting pictures out in there that could be mis-construed. I doubt that girl will go blabbing about us, it's not like we made it look like we were a couple. But I know how things can get out of proportion if leaked.

Still, it can't be that bad. It was just three co-stars getting some coffee together. In fact, it was just two, who ran into the third. Hopefully it'll just seem casual and friendly to whoever she shares those pictures with.

A selfish part of me wishes I had brought Tris after all, but I think of her sweet sleeping form sprawled out across the bed, and I'm glad I didn't disturb her, she deserves her rest, she works her ass off. And well, I might have wore her out a bit last night.

I smile a little to myself at the thought of that, thinking about how with her, it's the best sex of my life. And the fact that I'm mere minutes away from seeing her again, makes me even happier.

Without realizing it, I pick up my pace a little, eager to be reunited with my girl.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **What did you think? Please feel free to leave me a review!**

 **Thank you SO much for all the wonderful feedback for that last chapter, you've really kept me motivated and excited to still be a part of the fanfic world whenever I have time!**

 **Also, I realize some questions (from the end of chapter 14) have still gone unanswered. The time will come.**

 **As for chapter 16...not guarantees as to when that'll be posted. But I'll definitely try not to let it take as long as this last one did!**

 **In the meantime, feel free to come check out my Pinterest that I like to use as inspiration for this story (madisonrose1129)!**

 **Thanks for reading and for all the wonderful support!**

 **-Madison**


	16. Chapter 16

**Role of a Lifetime**

 **Chapter 16 [Rated M/MA]**

 **Tris' POV**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Veronica Roth's "Divergent" or any businesses, places, etc. that I reference in this chapter or any of my stories. Also as mentioned before, this movie "Four" I refer to, is made-up, but inspired by the "Bourne Identity" film.**

 **P** **lease only read if you're of an appropriate age. As mentioned above, this story is for mature audiences only, due to explicit language and sexual content.**

* * *

The past four weeks have gone by quickly, although we've filmed a huge chunk of the movie, so at least we're feeling accomplished.

Working and temporarily living here in France, has been amazing. The days are long, usually at least 12-14 hours, if not more. We worked a couple of 18 and 20 hour days. Even though we may not have been working that entire time, we had to be on-set, on-call, and we'd be called out at all hours of the morning, day and night to get the shots they needed.

So we cherish the two days we have off each week. Those first two, we pretty much spent sleeping, desperately needing to catch up on rest. Now that we've got in the rhythm of things, we've been eager to get out and enjoy our free time whenever we happen to get it.

We've gone out to eat several more times as a group, and occasionally just Zeke,Tobias and I. So we feel that we know the immediate area fairly well. And it's nice that we're all becoming such close friends.

I even managed to get through a shopping trip with Christina, Lauren, and Nita! Christina had insisted I join the three of them, saying every girl's got to check out the shops of Paris at least once if they're here. Being that Nita and I are on better terms these days, I had went along. That was one of the days that Tobias had to work and I didn't, so I figured I'd go at least once.

I actually ended up having quite a bit of fun, and I surprisingly ended up spending a few hundred dollars. I don't usually just drop that kind of money on clothes or whatnot, but I got a couple of really cute dresses, a cute cream colored short-sleeved one with birds on it, and the one I'm wearing now, the light blue denim sleeveless button down dress, which comes just above my knees. And I may have also picked up a sexy little nighty thing from the fancy boutique that they dragged me into. But that's for me to know, and Tobias to find out.

Being that Christina, Lauren and I have become even closer friends over this past month, they had me giggling and looking at all sorts of things that I'd normally never spend that much money on, rather than feeling uncomfortable or awkward in a shop full of things like corsets and crotchless panties.

As for Nita...I'm not sure what to think about her these days. She still doesn't talk to me much, and can still be a bit flirty with Tobias. But I realize she's like that with most men, and she thankfully seems to keep her distance from him most of the time. Although I think that's because there's a chance she might be casually seeing Al. But I guess that's not really our business.

Besides that, she's been surprisingly nice otherwise. Just often still wrapped up in herself or her mobile device.

Like she is right now, as we enjoy our Saturday morning in a row of chairs at a nearby salon, getting pedicures.

I've been talked into tagging along with them yet again, as they wanted to go out and celebrate Nita getting her cast off. Paying a good chunk of money to have someone else paint your toes, seemed a little silly at first. I've always been one to just do it myself. But I admit, it's kind of a nice treat. Meanwhile, the guys opted to hit the gym around the corner. Which honestly didn't sound too bad. But the guys need some time together too, and right now, as I sit back and let the girl scrub the heel of my left foot, and my right one soaks in some scalding hot lavender scented water, I'm feeling quite relaxed and happy to be here. It's nice to be a girly girl every so often, getting primped and pampered. Especially when I know I have a fun day ahead of me, just me and my man.

"See, this isn't so bad." Lauren says in my direction once she notices my head resting back with my eyes closed. I'm on the end seat, next to Christina, who's flipping through a magazine.

"Yeah, okay, this isn't such a bad way to start the day." I admit, smiling. Although, the first thing that comes to mind after I say that, is how Tobias has shown me so many other ways I like to start the day. Just not as much recently.

With our schedules lately, it hasn't provided us as much time for that as we'd like. We're often trying to squeeze quickies in here and there, but its been hard lately. And with me getting my period mixed in there, it's been...almost two weeks since we've done it? I just want some alone time with him!

At least the few hours we do get to sleep within our hectic schedule, is in each other's arms. So it's a more restful sleep. But still, we need a little time off.

"You deserve to be pampered, you work your ass off. You should let yourself have this more often." Christina says.

"We'll see." I chuckle.

"So what are your plans for the day?" Lauren asks me.

"Yeah, aren't you going out with...T-" she almost says, then realizes she's talking in front of these beauty shop workers who don't know I'm secretly dating Tobias Eaton. "With, ya know?" She says, trying to cover up her mistake. Although I don't think it really matters, I've noticed the women have been quietly discussing their new line of salt scrubs for the last few minutes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Nita briefly look up at me, finally removing her stare from her phone.

I chuckle and answer the best I can, "Um, yeah, that's the plan. But I'm not sure where yet."

"Aw, that's so sweet." Christina says, "He wants to surprise you?" She asks and I nod. "He hasn't given you any clues?"

I shrug and reply, "He said he was taking me to lunch...but he was being all smiley and evasive, so I guess he could be up to something. He just said to be free after 10am, and to where comfortable shoes since we'll be doing a bit of walking. So no heels." I say, looking at her with raised eyebrows, emphasizing those last words. I know how she would want to dress me up and make me look all nice for my 'date'. That's what she did when he took me out for our first dinner out alone since we've been here.

Christina smiles and looks to Lauren, who smirks back at her. "You know he's got a full-on date planned for you then." Christina says and I just shyly smile and look back down at my feet, where my toes are now being painted minty green. I thought it looked summery and cute.

"Enough about me, what are you guys up to today? You've got the weekend off too ya know."

"We're doing some more shopping, then meeting up with Zeke and Will to maybe check out The Louvre or a movie."

"I like how you throw those two around together so nonchalantly." I say with a snort.

Christina laughs and Lauren chuckles as she rolls her eyes. "I suggested the Louvre," Lauren says, "I'd like to check it out while we're here. But yes, other ideas were thrown out there too."

"What about you, Nita? Want to come with? Or do you have plans already?" Christina asks her.

"Oh, yeah...I...I've got plans. Al and I, we're...meeting up. We're hanging out later." She says, nodding to herself before correcting the girl working on her pedicure, "No, I said I wanted plum, not that one. That's way too mauve." She corrects, and I notice the lady mumble something about that being the bottle she handed her.

"Well, cheers to our weekend off. Only about another 7 weeks to go until it's time to head back to the States." Lauren says, holding up her own tea in gesture, before taking a sip.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" I announce playfully as I come down the hall towards our room of the house. It's around 10:30, so I'm a little early, so I'm not sure he's ready.

But as I near closer, I'm surprised to hear Tobias and Zeke having an argument. I hear the laughter in their voices, so it sounds more like playful banter. But I can't help but wonder what they're disagreeing about. And why are they hanging out in our room? They're usually in the living room or the study.

"Trust me, she won't care!" I hear Tobias say as I round the corner.

Seeing that the door's open, I proceed to enter the room. I see Zeke lounging back in the chair by the window, his back to me. Tobias appears to be shoving something in a suitcase.

"She won't care? Do you not know anything about women?" Zeke exclaims, although he seems amused, and again, by his stature, seems relaxed. He shakes his head and picks up the white horse statue that's on the side table, inspecting it like he's bored and getting distracted with the knick knack. There's a lot of random white decor in here, but I like how eclectic it is.

"Shut up." Tobias chuckles.

"Dude, I'm just warning you, Tris is probably going to be pissed."

"She's not like most girls."

"If you say so."

"I think I know her better than you do, thank you very much. But thanks for the advice." Tobias replies, turning to back to the closet.

I realize I'm standing there, not exactly eavesdropping. I mean, I'm not hidden at all, and I did loudly announce my arrival. Were they talking over themselves so loud they didn't hear me?

"We're filming a movie dude, and you're just going to up and leave? I hope you're back in time." Zeke asks, now bored with the first knick-knack, and now moving on to tugging on the chain of the side lamp. He clicks in on, then off, then on again.

"I've got to get out of this place, if at least for one night. You understand, man." Tobias says, walking back and stuffing more clothes in his suitcase. "I really want to do this. By the way, do you have to touch everything?" He chuckles.

Wait, is Tobias leaving? Is that why Zeke thinks I'll be pissed? Where is he going? Why does he feel the need to get out of this place?

I didn't realize how dry my mouth is until now, as if I couldn't speak if I wanted to.

No, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. But I am home a little earlier than I said I'd be, so I'm curious as to why he seems to be packing in such a hurry. Still, this is Tobias. Who seems to really care for me. And he said he wanted to surprise me, so he's probably just up to something for our plans today. Still, a suitcase?

"Shut up." Zeke says, and as if reading my mind about Tobias' haste, he adds, "And slow down man, you're going to make yourself dizzy."

"I want to leave for this flight ASAP, maybe I shouldn't have told her 11. It's cutting it really close."

Finally, I decide I should make my presence known, they obviously don't know I'm here. So I clear my throat.

I remain standing there, leaning my hip against the end of the bed. Standing just feet in front of me, he glances up from the garment in his hand, looking at me like a dear in headlights.

He looks down at the clothing in his hands, then back up at me with an apologetic look.

I then notice he's holding a handful of my underwear, bras and socks, which confuses me even more.

He smiles, showing me those pearly white teeth, but a little bit of the puppy dog eyes going on. I can't help but smile at him while putting my hand on my hip.

"Dude, don't forget to pack condoms, or her birth control pill or whatever. And her razor, Shauna always complains when she forgets her razor. And nobody wants prickly legs or-." Zeke says, still oblivious to my presence.

"Got it." Tobias replies, cutting him off there, a snort of laughter escaping him. "Hi." He says to me then, placing the items in his suitcase and stepping towards me.

"Going somewhere?" I ask, tilting my head and looking at him with a questioning smirk as he places his hands on my hips.

"Oh, shit!" Zeke says, now realizing I'm here. "Hi Tris! Bye Tris!" He laughs and scurries out of the room.

"Well, so much for a surprise." Tobias says with a grin, leaning his head down to kiss me briefly.

"So...what's this about I'm going to be pissed about?" I chuckle, playing with the front of his shirt.

"Well, Zeke thinks a man should never pack a woman's stuff, thinks you'll be pissed at me for going through your things to pack you an overnight bag." He chuckles too, but then looks at me sincerely, "It's not like I was going through anything anyway, I was just grabbing you a quick change of clothes and a toothbrush and stuff."

"And why might you be doing that?" I ask, biting my lip and enjoying the way he's looking at me. I can tell he's excited to tell me, but maybe also a little nervous.

"Well, our lunch date might have turned out to be an overnighter in Carcassonne..."

My eyes practically bulge out of my head, is he for real? Feeling the excitement bubbling within me, a huge smile immediately takes over my face. "Are you serious?" I ask him, almost wanting to give him an Elaine Bennis style shove as the words, _"Get out!"_ tumble from mouth.

"Yeah, just me and you." He says, grinning. He brings my hand to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. "I figured we could use a romantic weekend alone."

I stand on my toes and kiss him firmly on the mouth, my arms winding there way to their place around his neck. I feel his arms wrap around me and I bite his bottom lip lightly, tugging it into my mouth, and he rolls his hips into me with a deep yet sensual sound coming from his throat.

"So you're down for this?" He asks once we reluctantly pull our lips apart.

"I am most definitely down! Are you kidding?!" I ask, sounding giddier by the minute. I can't help it though, how exciting of a surprise! I thought we were just going on a long walk to a fancy restaurant or something.

"You're not mad at me then?" He asks with a smile, he seems pleased that I'm so excited.

"No." I laugh.

He does an adorable little happy victory dance. "You, my love, are the best."

"Me? You're taking me across the country! Speaking of which, how are we getting there?"

Wait, did he just say, _my love?_ That's a new one.

Those aren't just words to throw around, right? I don't recall him ever referring to me or anyone else like that. The thought of him saying he loves me sends a little tingling thrill up my spine, but I don't want to get ahead of myself and make assumptions, only to be disappointed and hurt...he may not be in the same place as me. Although he sure acts like it, which gives me hope.

"...that'll put us there by o'clock at the latest..."

"Sorry, what?" I ask, now realizing he had been talking. I was still thinking of his words; my love.

"I was saying how I called in a favor...we've got a private plane to catch. I told them we'd be there in..." He looks at his watch, "30 minutes."

"We do?" I ask, still baffled. Why did he go to all this trouble? Surely this can't be an inexpensive outing.

"Yeah, as nice as the drive would be, I didn't want to waste 7 hours in the car when we only have barely a weekend alone together. So we're flying."

I smile at him, shaking my head. "You're confident we'll be back in time for call Monday morning?" This is so spur of the moment, but I'm so excited! And he obviously remembered how fascinated I am by castles and how I've mentioned that if love to tour one. Carcassonne is widely known for it, is apparently huge and very medieval.

"We're good, it's all planned out. In fact, you and I don't have to work until Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock, so we could technically stay two nights if you wanted. We'd just have to get an early start Monday morning." He says. "Now quickly grab anything else you want to bring, we've got to go!"

"Okay!" I laugh, grabbing one more outfit and a couple other things. But he did quite well packing for me, so I don't need much else.

"You ready for this Prior? I heard this place is pretty awesome." He says, grabbing our bags.

I grin at him, my arms crossed over my chest, "Someone really wants to get lucky tonight, hm?"

He laughs, and shrugs, "I'm not going to deny that." But then he looks at me so sincerely, holding my gaze with a look of complete adoration. It makes my heart feel like it's going to pound right out of my chest, and my hands immediately clam up. "But that's not the reason I'm taking you, Tris. Remember, I really like just spending time with you. _You_ more than anyone." He adds, leaning forward. I gulp, looking back at him through the intensity of his now darkening stare. It's still fascinating to me how he can turn me on so much by simply looking at me. It's like he ignites a spark deep within me.

I throw my arms around his neck again and we both smile into the kiss I give him. "The feeling is mutual." I murmur against his lips.

"Then let's get this show on the road." He says, giving me one more quick and exceptionally noisy kiss, before following me our the door.

* * *

We get there quicker than I expected, and the sights of the historic city of Carcassonne are breathtaking. Even in its present form, it's an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive walls encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, its streets and the gorgeous Gothic cathedral. With my camera ready, I'm excited to go out on an adventure and explore everything we possibly can before dark. So we decide that we'll do some sight-seeing right after checking-in to the hotel he's apparently booked us.

We approach the old vine-covered stone building, which turns out to be in a perfect location right in the middle of the adorable town, and quickly get checked-in. I see him hand over his AMEX card, and I decide I should offer to help pay. So when we're heading down the hallway, my eyes drawn to the paisley carpeting, I just ask. "I hit the ATM earlier, can I please help you pay for the room?"

I don't hear a response, so I look up to find him playfully scowling at me, before turning to unlock the door at the end of the hall. "I'm going to pretend like I didn't hear you ask that."

I roll my eyes, but can't help but smile. "You spoil me."

"You're the best person to spend my money on, and you barely even let me do that most of the time. This was a trip planned without your knowing, you're not paying. No exceptions." He smiles back, "And you spoil me too, in other ways."

"I do?"

"Yeah, your cooking, back rubs, blow jobs, the list goes on."

I laugh and walk around the beautifully decorated room, taking in our surroundings. "Should I change into some jeans? Or do you think this dress is okay still?" I ask of the little denim dress. "Did it get too wrinkled or anything?" As I attempt at brushing out the wrinkles from the skirt of it, I feel his hands land on my hips.

"I think you look perfect in it, and you should definitely wear it. But..." He begins, sliding one hand up over my shoulder. I look up and over my shoulder at him. He bites his lip and I feel my panties dampen even further. I lean my head back against him and his hand goes down the front of my dress to palm my breast. His other arm wraps around my waist and holds me against him as his lips descend to my neck, before his fingers trail down to dip below the hem.

"But...?" I ask, not intending for it to come out so breathless. But his fingers continue creeping closer and closer to my panties and I'm becoming less coherent by the moment.

"But, you're very distracting in it, I might be inclined to get a little handsy." he says, pressing his two fingers against my clit through the white cotton of my underwear. He rubs me in a slow circular motion as his lips continue along the exposed skin of my shoulder.

"How about we leave in like...15 minutes?" I suggest.

"Deal!" He agrees and begins suckling at the base of my neck as his fingers deftly unbutton my dress, starting at the top, until he gets to my waist and it falls to the floor. He bends over to pick it up and tosses it over his left shoulder, while putting me over his right, before walking down the short hall towards the room with the large regal looking bed in it.

I laugh and squirm a little, but it only causes him to swat my butt, although not enough to hurt. I swat his back, loving the feel of his cute little behind, even through the denim of his jeans. But he retaliates again, now playfully biting on my butt cheek closest to his face, before laying me on the softest sheets I think I've ever felt. In a matter of moments, his clothes are off as well, then pulls my panties down, tossing them somewhere over his shoulder. He takes a moment to look at me, left just in my little lacy dark grey bralette. I feel my cheeks warming up, but I smile, liking the effect I seem to have on him.

Softly and slowly, I teasingly run the side of my foot up the side of his leg. I desperately want to make some skin on skin contact, and that's about all I can reach from where I lay back on the bed. But I'm trying to be sexy and flirty, so I look up at him through my lashes and slowly bring my hands up to palm my own breasts through the lacy fabric. The looks and feelings Tobias give me...it's exhilarating, and I love that I can be so comfortable and confident in the bedroom with him. One of the many reasons I want to find a way to tell him I love him.

"Tris," he says huskily with a shake of his head, like he can't believe it himself. His eyes rake over me and he licks his lips before practically diving for my the center of my legs. He gives me several teasing kisses, before running his tongue all along me to make sure I'm prepared for him, which I definitely am. So at my encouraging pull of his shoulders, he finally lines up with me and sinks in, deliciously slowly.

"Yes..." He moans deeply and rests his forehead against mine.

I seem to make some sort of mewling sound in reply, too taken over by the pleasurable sensations he's causing to ignite within me. I love to feel of how stiff he is...and when he goes slowly, almost teasingly, causing me to feel the ridge of his head slide in and out, I let my head fall back and his name fall from my lips. Not even realizing I had closed my eyes, I lift my heavy lids and look up at him

We watch each other for a moment as he continues his fluid movements, and we end up smiling sweetly at each other, before kissing and slowly tangling our tongues and nipping at each other's lips.

It's an unusual combination, as we seem to be moving quickly yet slowly...we both seem to be quickly nearing our peak, so there's an urgency to our now heavy breathing, yet he's still keeping this almost agonizing slow pace as he rocks his hips to dip deeply into me, dragging out the pleasure even more when I feel the snap movement of his hips, giving him this sexy rhythm that just makes his model-worthy body look and feel even better. The feel of it all suddenly brings on the tingles starting from deep within, and seeming to sense this without me having to ask, he buries his face in my neck and begins to speed up his thrusts, which immediately pushes me over the edge and my arms hold him tightly against me.

The feel of him reaching his own climax moments later, and the way he holds me to him like I'm his other-half, makes me grin against the side of his face where our cheeks are now pressed together.

"I love when I feel your smile." He says, his voice still coming out a bit hoarse. I feel his smile too, and I love it.

* * *

It ends up being about 45 minutes by the time we are done and freshened up to go out in public. But I'm not complaining, it was definitely time well spent.

His steps seem light and he's got a jovial smile on his face as we cross the cobblestone road hand in hand. I don't know if it's because of our recent activities, or because we're on our own in the South of France, but it seems he's in one of his especially good moods. Either way, we're definitely ready to do some exploring and enjoy the sunshine.

"This place has to have been the inspiration for more than a couple of Disney films, right? Can't you just imagine Belle running around here?! I mean, this place has a freakin' drawbridge!"

He chuckles and nods in agreement with me, before looking up at the giant walls with a chuckle. "It also kind of reminds me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

I chuckle too, thinking about that movie, but laugh harder when he begins quoting it in the silly accent.

We continue our silly movie quotes and impressions for a while as we take in the sights of all the little shops and vast array of buildings. I can see how the first-time visitor could be surprised to discover such a living town. You expect to find a castle and fortfications. However, having passed the Narbonne Gate you will find yourself in an intricate network of narrow streets full of souvenir shops, antique dealers, bakeries, pastry shops, walk-up food stands, restaurants and hotels. It's like a movie set.

It definitely seems to draw some tourists, but thankfully it's not too crowded today.

We stop several times for pictures, even of simple things like old cool looking antique doors and hillsides of flowers and random store fronts. It's all so beautiful and charming, it's hard not to want to capture photos of it all. We snap a few pictures of each other as well, him starting that trend by sneaking a few of me after he got me to laugh at something especially hard. He said he loves capturing those candid moments, especially where I laugh so hard my eyes tear up, and occasionally snort.

We visited the beautiful cathedral and took pictures of the giant stained glass windows, before heading over to a little gift shop. We goof around with some of the little medieval toys that are in barrels in the floor, even playfully sword fighting for a moment. But we end up buying a few things...I buy a wind chime, a refrigerator magnet, and a little sword letter opener for my dad. I figure I should bring him a souvenir.

By the time we're done there, it's dinner time and we're quite hungry. So keeping an eye out for any good looking nearby restaurants, we end up coming across Au Four .

"You sure this looks okay? We can go wherever you'd like." He says as we look over the menu posted outside together.

The place looks nice, yet still somewhat casual. And what matters most to me, is that the plates I can see on the tables from here look amazing, just as the menu suggeste d. I prefer good food over a fancy over the top ambiance. This will do great.

"Doesn't this look good to you? You smell that?" I ask, referring to the delicious scent wafting from the entrance. "That's what I care about, the food." I remind him. It's not the first time I've said it.

He smiles and nods, "Yeah, let's go."

We make our way inside and get a table pretty quickly, although the place is slightly crowded. The service ends up being great, and despite our doing well at picking up on French, we're thankful they speak English so that it's easier to order.

As we wait for our food, I notice him sipping his water again, almost a little nervously.

"Everything okay?" I ask, resting my hand on his thigh.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course." He smiles at me and then clears his throat. "Listen, Tris...can we talk? Um, about...us?"

I'm surprised by this, but just nod and patiently wait for him to continue. But after a few silent seconds, him just staring at the wooden table he picks at with his fingernail, a moment of worry etches at my brain as I wonder if I've mis-read everything and now he's actually... breaking up with me? I swallow nervously and look at my lap, fiddling with my napkin resting there.

But as the seconds tick by, and the more I consider that possibility, the more unlikely it seems it could be true, especially after the day we've had. I guess I'm just not used to someone starting those words without it being a bad result.

But what's got him so nervous? What's he hiding? I look back up at him, curious.

"I...ok," he says, taking a deep breath and facing me a bit more. He seems to relax a little as he takes my hand and looks into my eyes, "I'm not sure if you'll think this is too soon, or if this is the right place," he looks around the restaurant a little anxiously, making sure nobody is watching or listening. Although we're tucked away pretty well in a corner, so I think we're okay. He looks back at me. "And please don't feel like you have to say it back, but I want you to know...I love you, Tris. And, not just a general love you like a friend, but more like...over the past few months, you've become my best friend and I've completely fallen in love with you. I've been thinking about how often I've been wanting to say it lately, and I just wanted to get the moment right, so I've been delaying...but a part of me realized maybe I'm nervous...scared because I'm admitting my vulnerability." He swallows and nervously adjusts the fork in front of him before looking back at me, "You've got all the power, Tris. I'm already in so deep...you've easily got the power to crush me, to shatter my heart into oblivion. But...I decided it's worth the risk. And just like you always remind me, I have faith. Faith that you won't do that, because we're meant for each other, and I love you too fucking much to not try and act on these feelings. And I want to be able to tell you I love you whenever I want. So...yeah, if it's okay with you, I will. No expectations for a reply from you, just...from now on, I'm saying it whenever I want. _I. love. you._ "

Stunned for a moment by his little speech, I look back fourth between his deep crystal blue eyes and let his words sink in. He loves me? He's in love with me? Just as I feel myself tearing up a slightly, I realize I've left him hanging, so I turn my hand in his so that our fingers can lace together. "And if I want to say it back?" I question with a tentative smile, working through the lump in my throat.

"Well, if you want to...I won't stop you." He replies, now with a grin. I can see the relief and excitement in his eyes and it just makes it all the easier to say it.

I lean closer to his ear, "I am most definitely in love with you too, Tobias." Giving his hand a squeeze, I pull away slightly to look back into his eyes. "I've been almost-saying it for a while now." I admit.

Somehow he manages to smile even wider, and apparently not caring at the moment that we're technically in public, he leans in to kiss me right on the lips, his free hand now holding my face. It's sweet and soft, yet passionate, and almost not quite restaurant-appropriate. But when we hear dishes clinking, we pull away. It seems our food has arrived, and the server is discreetly setting our plates in front of us.

"Thanks." Tobias says to the server with a slight flush on his cheeks, but he still gives me a side glance and smile.

"Can we also get a bottle of wine?"

"Sure, would you like to see our wine menu?"

"Whatever you suggest to go with what we're having is fine."

The server agrees kindly before going off to retrieve it.

"Figured this is worth celebrating," he says to me with a smirk, and kisses me again, just a simple brief pressing on my lips. But it's still delicious, and beyond making me want more.

"I agree." I say, cutting into a roasted potato, "and not that I'm complaining, but you know, you didn't have to do all this just to tell me you love me...I would have said it back no matter where we were."

"I know, but I wanted it to be special. Besides, like I said, this trip sounded fun anyway, so I thought it would be a romantic backdrop to do it. Although I was going to do it overlooking the castle at night or something like that, but I just couldn't hold back any longer." He chuckles.

"Well, I'm glad you did."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **As usual lately, thank you SO much for your patience with this update! I'm glad to finally have this chapter posted. And guess what? If you haven't noticed yet, I've posted TWO chapters tonight! While writing chapter 16, it ended up being so long it was split into two.**

 **So go read onto Chapter 17 if you wish!**

 **-Madison**


	17. Chapter 17

**Role of a Lifetime**

 **Chapter 17 [Rated M/MA - explicit language/sexual content]**

 **Tris' POV**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **WAIT!**

 **If you haven't already done so, please be sure to read the previous chapter! (Just posted Chapters 16 and 17 at the same time)**

* * *

Our evening had been wonderful. The meal was delicious, the dessert chocolatey and decadent, we watched fireworks takeover the sky on our way back to the hotel, and then immediately when we got back to our room, we made love. For hours.

That was incredible in itself, not only physically the way we connected and moved together, but especially now that it was at a whole new level of expressed devotion and feelings. As we laid together and move as one, we declared our love to each other over and over again, no longer holding back on our desire to declare it.

I don't know what time it was when we finally drifted off to sleep in each other's arms, but it was nice to simply not to have to care. For once in a long time, we actually got to sleep-in.

So here I am, waking up with my nose buried in his hair. I open my eyes to see the view of this gorgeous broad shouldered man, curled up around me. His head is on my chest, his arm around my waist, and his leg thrown over mine. One of my arms is resting up above my head, but my other is around him, holding him close. He clings and snuggles with me like I'm the love of his life, his actions continuing to match his words from yesterday.

I smile at the thought, remembering all the ways and places he said those words to me. I kiss the top of his head, letting my lips linger in his soft curls that seem to be more noticeable in the mornings before his shower.

I briefly entertain the idea of what a little toddler with sweet little chocolate curls just like his own might look like, maybe mixed with my...well, I definitely want my DNA mixed in there somewhere too, but I'm okay with said child looking a bit more like him. Wait, does he even want children? That's not really a topic that's come up...but I guess it's a bit soon for that. One step at a time, Tris.

My thoughts of hypothetical children are interrupted by him beginning to stir. He nuzzles his face into me a bit more and gives me a loving squeeze, before tilting his head back to look up at me. "Morning, love." He greets me, his voice am octave deeper, as it usually is when he first wakes up.

"Morning, love." I repeat his words back with a smile, before kissing him.

"Feels so good to sleep-in..." He mumbles before yawning.

"I know, and it's only-" I lean my head up to look at the alarm clock beside the bed to see the time, "10:30am. I guess that's late for us though." I chuckle, because that is sleeping-in for our standards these days.

He pecks my lips, "True, and now I can take you out for breakfast still."

We shower together, and after drying off, I dress in one of the outfits Tobias packed me; denim shorts and a cream top with a small floral pattern. One of my favorites, and especially good since it's light and airy, which is perfect for warm days like today. "Just curious, did you just grab stuff and put it in the bag? Or did you actually put thought into the outfit and stuff? Because you actually did really good."

He laughs and shrugs, "I just grabbed stuff that I thought matched and I knew you liked."

My man pays attention.

I smile at him, stepping forward to rest my hands on his black t-shirt covered chest. His arms immediately wrap around me and he smiles down at me. "Well, I can see where Zeke was coming from, maybe some girls would freak. I mean, can you imagine Christina or Lauren allowing that? But you sir, get an A+." I tell him.

"Please text that to Zeke." He grins.

"Maybe later," I chuckle, "But you've worked up my appetite, let's go eat!" I plant a big loud kiss to his cheek, before pulling away and reaching for my brown cross-body bag, shoving my phone and sunglasses into it.

He's done and ready to go just when I am, and we hold hands on our way out of the vine-covered building.

We end up getting crepes at this adorable little stand, and they're even better than I expected. I could probably eat a second one, but I better save my appetite for the other fun eats we're bound to have throughout the day. We like good food!

We head to ville basse, where we check out hidden boutiques, stamp museums and dusty toy car shops while wandering from one medieval site to another. We also check out some 17th-century paintings, and take some more random photographs of the beautiful city.

Then we sip on our coffees as we head north to the banks of the Canal du Midi. It doesn't look like much at first, but then a few minutes further east, it runs through stunning countryside and is lined with regal plane trees. We decide to rent bicycles and enjoy the trail alongside the water, where we can watch the boats go by. It's beautiful, and I love how relaxed and unhurried our time is together. We just pedaled along, enjoying the view and our conversation.

But after our ride, we were hungry again since we skipped lunch. So figured we should get an early dinner.

We dine in an old cozy restaurant that feels like something out of Harry Potter, and we decide to keep things authenticity French by ordering their supposedly famous Cassoulet.

Since it's still early when we're done, we head towards the village of Lastours, about 10 miles north of Carcassonne. Up here, in the Black Mountains we spot four mythical-looking Cathar castles which have apparently clung to the hillside through raids and sieges for 10 centuries. We were even able to walk up the hill to examine their ancient stones, which was fun as well as fascinating.

"Well, I've always wanted to explore a castle, and now I've been to several." I tell him with an appreciative smile as we walk back to our rental car. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad we did it too, it's been a lot of fun."

I nod in agreement and we swing our hands a little. "You think you can fit in a snack or some dessert?" He asks when we walk by a cute little biscuit shop with a tons of authentic looking sweets.

"Sure," I smile and let him lead the way in.

There's somewhat of a line, so we peruse around for a moment and look at everything.

"This place is supposed to be amazing, they've only got a few of these shops here in France, but they also happened to have opened up one up in New York. I've walked by, been never been inside." He explains as we look admire the display of chocolates with their ornately decorated boxes, looking utterly French and beautiful. "Mm, look at these." He says, getting distracted by some delicious looking chocolate thing.

But I'm still kind of thinking of his words...of the reminder that Tobias is in New York all the time...because he lives in Chicago. Nowhere near California.

His other residence is in Australia, and well, that's definitely not near California. Here we are, dating for months, having a great time, and now recently vowing our love to one another...when we live 2,000 miles apart. We've kind of been in our own little bubble of bliss, temporarily living together in that apartment, working together all the time...it's been great seeing him every single day. Even if we're working a ton, and have to live with roommates, they're actually pretty great too. It's been great! But what about when the movie wraps and we go on with our lives? He goes back to Chicago and me to LA? Are we going to try the long distance thing? I never really considered moving to Chicago due to my job...and I'd feel terrible asking him to move to LA when he's got a life out there...maybe we could both travel back and fourth? Ugh, so many things suddenly running through my brain!

As I'm trying to organize my thoughts, staring at a tin of biscuits, I feel an arm go around my shoulder. Tobias rubs my arm soothingly and looks at whatever I'm looking at. "See anything you want?" He asks, and then seems to realize my apparent dazed look. "You okay, babe?"

I clear my throat and chuckle before nodding, "Yeah." I reply, but it for some reason comes our more as a whisper.

He looks at me strangely, "You feel okay?" He asks. "You look a little pale."

"Thanks!" I reply sarcastically, hoping to lighten the mood and change this conversation into teasing me of my lack of a tan. But as I look down at my slightly golden arms and legs from spending the last few days in the sunshine, I know that's not what he means.

He turns me to face him, giving me somewhat of a stern look like I should know him better. But his expression is still soft, like he's truly worried about what's the matter. He can tell something's on my mind.

"You know you can talk to me, Tris." He says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, "I love you." He says just above a whisper.

"I know," I smile, feeling myself instantly more relaxed at his words, "and I love you too." I say back quietly as well. I have to remember where we are.

He smiles, obviously liking my response, but still looks at me encouragingly. I really don't want to hash all this out right here, but he deserves an explanation.

"I was...well, you just reminded me about how you live on the east coast...and I'm on the west coast...and, well, ya know." I add with a deflated shrug, not really feeling like going into further detail while in a mildy crowded sweet shop. Just because he hasn't been recognized yet today, doesn't mean it won't happen.

His face softens and he smiles, looking slightly relieved. Why does he look relieved at my comment? "You look pleased at that." I say with a light chuckle, although I'm having trouble finding the humor in it.

"No," he says with a chuckle as he pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around me for a brief hug, "I'm just glad that's the only reason you had that adorable scowl on your face, it looked like you could've laser-beamed right through that can of biscuits you were looking at.

I chuckle and again, feel myself relaxing even more at his light-heartedness, he really does know how to cheer me up. But I'm still not sure what to make of his reply. Maybe I'm just over-thinking things.

"How about we grab a few goodies, and we'll go find someplace to talk about this, sound good?" He asks, looking at me sincerely with his hand subtly rubbing more soothing circles on my skin, but this time it's on the little bit peeking out on my hip below the hemline of my shirt. I nod, and he gives me a sweet smile, before asking me again what I'd like from the display case of treats.

We each lick out a couple of things, and even decide to bring back a tin can of a variety of the cookies for the group back at the apartment.

He ends up getting recognized at the register, but thankfully the girl doesn't make a huge scene of it or anything, doesn't even ask for an autograph or picture. Just asked for a hug and mentioned how excited she was to meet him. She was polite to me as well, asking to shake my hand with a friendly smile, but I could tell she couldn't quite keep her eyes off him.

Once we're outside, he carries our bag of treats, and with his other hand, he pulls his hat down a little further before lacing his fingers with mine. We stroll hand in and hand again, no particular destination in mind, when he speaks up.

"I hadn't thought that much about our distance to be honest..." He admits, sounding a bit guilty, although he shouldn't be. "I just assumed we'd make it work...like, we'd spend a little time in Chicago at my place, but I'd mostly stay in LA...I have work out there quite often anyway, and I definitely want to be near you. But it's not something I've thought about in detail, what do you think?"

"Like, you live with me at my place primarily, but we live at your Chicago place part-time too?" I ask, looking over at him.

He smiles over at me, "I hadn't actually mentioned officially moving into each others places," he teases, but again, he looks pleased, "I definitely like the sound of that though."

My face warms up a little, but I smile back as I playfully shove him, before winding my arm in his so they're linked as we walk. "We don't have to, I thought that's what you meant. Don't feel like you have to make a decision-"

"I want to." He interrupts, "Tris, these past few weeks have proven how much I love living with you. I promise, I really do like the idea. Do you?"

"I do...but, you mentioned my place...does that mean you like my house? You'd actually consider it? You wouldn't want some big fancy place?" I ask, secretly hoping he doesn't. I know he doesn't like things too extravagant, but he likes space and big TV's and well, probably more than I have room for. It may not be a huge movie-star mansion, but I love my house!

"If you don't want me to impede on your space, please tell me and I'll understand. Or if you'd rather have a bigger place, we can find something together. But to answer your question, yes, I love your place. And it already feels like home. I'd be honored to live there. I just really love the idea of living with you though, so we could do whatever you want." He kisses the top of my head. "And there's plenty of room for you at my place in Chicago. It's a little boring and masculine, but you can redecorate how ever you want."

I chuckle and shake my head, "I guess we'll see when I get there, but I'm sure it's fine."

"You say that now. What if I have shag carpet, lava lamps and black light posters?"

I shrug and smile at him, "Hey, I'm all about peace and love. Pass the joint, man."

He laughs, "Speaking of joints, you want to know a secret?"

"Yes..." I say, humor in my voice. I already know he's not really a stranger to pot, but wonder where he's going with this secret.

"I actually smoked with Willie Nelson once, how crazy is that?"

"You did?!" I laugh, "When? Where?"

He continues to tell me the story, explaining how he had been a part of the soundtrack to one of his movies, and they met at an after party. Later in the evening, feeling bored and claustrophobic, he went to get some fresh air. Out back was none other than Willie and a couple of his buddies, smokin' weed. He accepted their offer to join them, which apparently made quite the memorable evening. Of which he's only told Zeke about. Well, besides me now. I begin to ask another question, enjoying his story, but we get interrupted by a small group of girls, probably a little younger than me, asking if we'll take their picture in front of this large statue beside us.

Not wanting to be rude and decline them, nor wanting Tobias to have to possibly get noticed if he did the work, I reach for the iPhone that they hold out. He again adjusts his hat a little lower as he stands off to the side.

The girls group up and smile for the camera, before I snap a couple of pictures for them.

"Thanks!" The taller brunette one says with a kind smile as she retrieves the camera.

"No problem." I reply with a friendly smile.

"You want us to get a picture of you guys too?" She asks, holding her hand as if I might want to hand my own camera over.

"Um, no thanks." I decide to say, hoping that doesn't sound too weird. But I figure taking a picture of him will just draw more attention. They'd be staring right at his face!

"You look really familiar." The redhead speaks up, looking at me kind of skeptically.

"Yeah...wait, are you're that Tris girl? The one in the new Four movie!" The blonde says.

"OMG!" The redhead squeals as the brunette looks a bit shocked.

I'm the one being recognized?

"I, uh..."

"Then who might you be-" the curious redhead says, walking up to Tobias and bending down to peek better beneath his hat, before making a little high-pitched squeal of her own. "It's YOU!"

"Who!?" One of the girls asks, I'm not sure which one.

"Tobias Eaton!" She whisper yells, turning her head to make sure her friends heard her.

"Are you kidding me?" The blonde says, rushing over to introduce herself. "Is that really you? I'm Britney."

"We're such huge fans of yours," the redhead says, "when we heard you happened to be filming in France, we secretly hoped we'd run into you! How crazy!"

"Yeah, what are the chances!?" The blonde agrees excitedly.

Meanwhile, Tobias is still kind of standing there in silence, a bit shocked by these seemingly over-caffeinated girls. I do think he's made his way a little closer to me, although I can't be sure. It may have been me who migrated towards him.

He looks at me, almost a little desperate, like he's looking for help, but more just a look of questioning. He's never fond of larger crowds of fans when they're hyper like this, but it's only three of them. Nothing we can't handle. So I shrug and offer him an encouraging smile. He's already been called out, may as well embrace it and make the most of it.

"Yeah, what are the chances, huh?" He finally speaks up, his recognizable voice confirming their suspicions. They make a unified giggle of excitement, the blonde bouncing back and fourth on her toes.

"I've actually got to be someplace pretty soon, but I have time for a quick picture if you'd like?" He offers.

He lifts his hat slightly to show his face better in the picture, and they eagerly group around him after shoving the camera back in my hands.

I playfully roll my eyes and chuckle, taking two quick pictures. One of them smiling, one with silly faces.

"Thank you so much!" The brunette says.

"Yeah, we really appreciate it." The redhead agrees.

"I just wish you were single." The blonde pouts at Tobias, before leaning in to give him a hug, whether invited to or not. He gives her a friendly pat on her upper back near her shoulder, before pulling away and giving a similar goodbye to the others so as not to show favoritism.

Wait, she doesn't know he's not single? Are they assuming we're together because we're hanging out? Or does the public know about us? Or do they think he's with someone else?

"Yeah, what are you doing out here with Tris anyway. Wouldn't Nita be pretty mad? Does she even know you're here?" The redhead asks Tobias, almost accusatorially.

"Excuse me?" Tobias says, obviously surprised and confused by her questions.

"You and Nita are a thing, and here you're out being chummy with your other female co-star. We saw you two holding hands, there's no hiding your affection towards Tris." She explains, now with her arms crossed.

"Nita? And me?" Tobias asks, still stunned.

The redhead rolls her eyes and whips out her phone, before typing frantically.

"Listen, we've actually got to get going-" Tobias begins, brow furrowed, and I nod along. But before we know it, she's holding the phone up to our faces, showing off a handful of pictures that I'm not expecting to see.

They're pretty much all of Tobias and Nita.

He goes rigid and his jaw drops. Although I think mine probably does too. Then surprisingly, he snatches the phone right out of the girls hand, taking a closer look.

"Hey!" She whines in reply, but doesn't attempt to take it back, just waits for him to do his thing.

He stands there stiffly, swiping through the pictures from the Google image search. He's facing it towards me a bit so that I can see what he's seeing. He scrolls back to the top to see what she had searched exactly, and we see the words "Tobias Eaton Girlfriend".

He swallows thickly and gives the phone back. "You've been mis-informed. Don't believe everything you read. Good evening ladies." He says to them, before taking my hand and leading me away.

I can feel their eyes on us, but thankfully they don't seem to try and follow us. I'm more distracted though, by my suddenly not-very-happy boyfriend. He continues down the path, my hand in his. But his strides are slightly faster and I see his jaw clenching. It's obvious by his body language that he's extremely agitated, but he doesn't seem to be pulling away from me at all, so that's good I guess.

We walk in silence for a few minutes, until we're definitely out of ear shot and away from them, or anyone else for that matter. We're alone near one of the ramparts, on a terrace with a beautiful garden view, and I realize we're back on our hotel's grounds.

He takes me over to one of the railings and leans against it, pulling me against him. He leans down slightly to be able to bury his face in my neck as his arms encase me. I feel him take in a deep breath as my arms wind around him back. I hold him to me and kiss his shoulder even though it's through his t-shirt, it's where my lips can reach from here. I turn my head and get the bottom of his jaw, through the scruff he has from lack of shaving these past couple days. I have so many things running through my head, but I really want him to talk to me. I'm hoping my gentle kisses will coax him into that. I leave another kiss below his ear, before he turns his head and kisses me firmly on the lips, so much so that he ends up dipping me back quite a bit, his arm securely around my waist.

When he pulls back and looks at me, he no longer seems quite so frustrated, but is brows are still knitted together and I can still tell he's uneasy. "What are we going to do? What the hell was that back there?" He asks in a strained whisper. Then he begins to pace a little.

"I don't know...I mean, I know how rumors and gossip spreads, but all those pictures...that was pretty crazy, right?" I shake my head, looking down, remembering them all. They were a combination of what looked like paparazzi photos, and some of which would have been taken within our own group. One that particularly stands out in my mind, is where he's got his arm around Nita's shoulder. He's wearing that green shirt of his that I love, and is smiling widely at the camera. Meanwhile, she's looking up at him with a smile, making them look like the ever-adorable couple. However, I remember that exact moment, where we took a huge cast photo. We were all right there with them. In fact, his other arm was around me. You just didn't see that in the picture, as I was cropped out. Well all but my shoulder and ponytail, and fingers seen around his waist. I remember Nita squeezing in right there at the last minute, but didn't think anything of it as we _all_ posed for a few pictures.

"They all looked so out of context, you know?" I add, looking back up at him.

He nods, "Obviously. There's no way there would be any legitimate pictures showing us as a couple, they don't exist." He says confidently, running his hand down the front of his face. "Fuck, We have to look again, right? See how many there are? See if there's any of you?" He shakes his head as he gets out his phone.

"Crap, four missed calls from PR, should have known." He says, before proceeding to his search engine app to google the same words the girl did; Tobias Eaton Girlfriend.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I ask, not really wanting to see them again. Yet, I do at the same time, because I can't believe how someone sabotaged those pictures and gave them such presumptive headlines. I always hear about how this sort of thing happens, but c'mon...

"Tris, it shouldn't be like this. I know we agreed to keep our relationship a secret, and that's fine. And we know people always gossip, but this is like- more than just some rumors. These are altered pictures, leaked pictures, with you cut out of most of them. Or were taken out of context, like this one where we're posing with fans at that coffee shop. And someome got the one of me with my arm around her." He points out, referring to the time he mentioned he ran into her there about a month ago while grabbing us croissants. He runs his hand through his hair like he does when he's stressed, "I don't want this rumor turning into anything big."

"It may not..." I say, but I know I don't sound very convincing.

"It's already too much. I don't want to be associated with Nita any more than I have to for the movie. I've got to deny it, publicly. More than just to those girls back there. If anyone is going to be deemed my girlfriend, it's going to be _you_ , no one else. Otherwise, I'm a single man...who just so happens to secretly have a very close female friend he's in love with. But nobody else gets that title, so either way, I'm speaking up."

"Tobias..." I begin, not knowing if we should make a big deal out of this yet. But I can't help but smile at his words.

Not that I don't feel beyond frustrated on the inside about this whole ordeal, especially since this is involving _Nita_ of all people. But we shouldn't let things get out of proportion before we know how serious this is, this could blow over in 24 hours for all we know.

"Tris, look at this. Who took these pictures? I hate this, the papps following everywhere!" He says, pointing to a few he found of him out and about with me and the group, but it seems someone snapped a few pictures whenever she'd go stand near him or sit near him. Very few are of him with others included. I'm only in one so far, although I'm with them in almost all those instances. I also notice he's not even looking at her in most of them, and thankfully, they're not really touching in any of them. But when you see picture after picture, thrown online all at once, it's crazy how convincing it could appear to an outsider. They appear to spend so much time together. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth, I don't like seeing these. And I don't like the feeling like we're being followed.

"This is ridiculous." He adds.

I mean, it's obvious to me he's not actually into her, even by looking at the pictures he's not really paying her much attention in any of them. But most people don't know the side of her we do. To most people, she's still the ever beautiful and popular actress and model, set to be in an upcoming movie starring the sexy (and supposedly single) action star, Tobias Eaton. So why wouldn't they want to believe the two could be a cute couple? After all, they actually do!

But that doesn't mean they're meant for each other. Or that they should ever be together in anyway. No. It just means she's a (brunette) Barbie, and he's Ken...they look the part. That's why they were cast that way.

So people want to think it could work, they encourage it.

For some reason I'm still silent.

"I don't know if its the tabloids running with it, or paparazzi pushing it...hell, I wouldn't be surprised if it's Nita herself that's behind all this, but I'm pretty pissed." He says, scoffing as he clicks on a magazine site to see the blurb below the photo.

 _Smokin' hot "Four" lead, Tobias Eaton, finally off the market? Maybe Paris really is the City of Love!_

 _Eaton has been filming in France with fellow friend and co-star, Nita Paolos, of whom he's been spotted getting cozy with on multiple occasions [see picture above]. Sources say it's possible he's been privately dating the German actress for a while, but he's always been good about keeping his private life out of the spotlight, nobody seems to know for sure. Maybe we'll find out more as they promote their film post-production, or during the film's premiere, which is due to hit March 1st. I'm sure you're as eager to find out as we are. So stay tuned for your latest celebrity news!_

"I know, this is frustrating, but I guess I should have expected it. Still, we'll get through this. Shouldn't you call PR back? I bet they'll give you suggestions on how to proceed."

He nods and looks at me apologetically, "Yeah, I'll call them when we get to the room." He says and pulls me to him, slipping his phone back into his pocket, done with looking at the rumor-mill. "I'm so sorry baby, you don't deserve this either." He tells me.

"I'm not in the headlines." I chuckle, but I know he means because another woman is being called his girlfriend and not me. I give him a small smile. "Don't worry, I know this isn't your fault. They love to twist these stories around, anything to make headlines."

"I just wish I could maintain normalcy when it comes to my home-life, you know? I love making movies, but I don't always love being a celebrity." I nod, knowing what he means. That particular part of this business freaks me out a bit. I know we've had this conversation quite a few times before, he definitely prefers his privacy. "But at the same time, especially at times like these, I just want to set everyone straight. Go on E!News or something, shouting how you're mine. Make it clear to everyone how fucking much I love Tris Prior, and nobody else."

I laugh and face-plant into his chest, feeling his body rumbling with his own small laughter. He kisses the top of my head, "A part of me definitely wouldn't mind that. But we both know it's best to keep us on the down-low still...at least for now. I can only imagine how the media would swarm if we swooped in with that news."

"You sure?"

I nod, rubbing my hands up the sides of his arms soothingly, "We'll know when the time is right."

"But I'm still denying being with her." He confirms, looking at me like there's no changing his mind on that. Not that I'm arguing.

"Why don't you call PR first, but yeah. I don't see why that would hurt. But..."

"But, what?"

"Just...be prepared, a statement may not make much of a difference. I mean, I'm an optimistic person, so don't get me wrong, I totally think we're going to get through this just fine. But just remember how tabloids and fan girls are... just because you publicly deny something, doesn't always mean they'll believe you. Or don't want to think it could develop into something because they so badly want it to. Or they might just think you're denying it to keep it a secret..after all, you've always been careful with what you share publicly. And we'll...I mean, you and her...at least by the looks of things from the outsiders perspective, you do make a lovely looking couple."

"It's a good thing I found a girl with outer beauty and inner beauty then, hm?" He looks around to confirm nobody around, and leans down to kiss me, feathering his lips and then tongue against my mouth, just the way he knows makes my toes curl.

"I love you." I tell him when we pull away, "Now let's not let this ruin the rest of our little vacation, alright?"

He smiles back, "Okay," he squeezes my hand, "And I love you too."

The sunset then seems to catch our eye, and we both turn our heads to take in the stunning hues of purple and orange. This little spot here in the garden area has got to be one of the best views of it.

"Beautiful, isn't it? This is a picture perfect spot."

"Yeah, I noticed a bridal party taking pictures over here earlier. What a great place to get married, huh? Say your vows right here on the grass, over-looking the sunset beaming on the castle walls...maybe some dancing right over there..." He says, using his hand in gesture as he explains.

I smile at him amused, and to be honest, a bit touched by his comment. I like that he notices things like that. And well...I guess I kind of like that marriage just casually came up in conversation between us, like it has before. Many guys would completely steer clear of that topic if they could help it.

"You paint quite the picture there." I reply.

He looks at me for a long moment and my heart stutters at the intensity in his eyes.

"Oh I definitely have, you should see how I'm imagining it." He says as he puts his arm around me and I melt into him, loving the feel of his body against mine. He begins to stroll forward, seemingly leading me towards the entrance and presumably towards our room. "But don't worry, you'll get to have final say where we get married. There are many more options to pick from as well." He smiles jovially and winks at me and reaches for the door handle, holding it open for me like a gentleman.

I laugh, "You're just there to throw out ideas? The girl makes final wedding decisions?"

"Yep, you're in charge."

"Apparently you are, I don't exactly remember agreeing to said marriage." I tease, giving him a mocking smile of superiority.

"A man can dream." He says, leading us up the stairs, "Besides, there's at least a good chance you'll say yes when I ask one day, right?" His demeanor is playful, but when I catch his eyes with mine, I see an underlying bit of vulnerability there. It's hard to believe, that _he_ of all people, is worried that he might be rejected by a marriage proposal.

"At risk of boosting your ego," I say, turning so that it's his back is against our hotel room door. I reach around to unlock it as I speak my next words, but I remain keeping eye contact with him, my equally playful smile still on my face. "I don't think anyone could deny you, let alone me." I kiss him then, hoping to really portray how much I love him and love this talk of future possibilities. I always thought this type of conversation would freak me out when it came up, even if it was casual like this today. But it doesn't seem to freak me out at all, just excites me, makes me anxious for what's to come.

I pull away at that last thought, my dirty mind taking over, especially with how his hands are beginning to roam and he's pressing his firm manhood against me so that I can feel it through his pants. "Take me to bed Mr. Eaton." I say, looking up at him through my lashes, finally turning the door handle and letting us through.

"Yes, ma'am." He says, his voice deep with want. Being the overachiever that he is, he takes that task seriously, and has me in bed within moments, my clothes quickly removed and dropped to the floor.

"Yours too. You need to be naked, like, now." I demand in the heat of the moment, feeling ridiculously turned-on and impatient. At my authoritative words, I somehow think I see his pupils dilate even more, and the evident hard-on in his pants twitches enough for me to notice.

He rips off his shirt as he kicks off his shoes and socks, before his deft fingers make quick work of his belt, and he kicks off his pants. He stands there for a moment, breathing heavily as he looks over me all sprawled out. "C'mere." I say, crooking my finger and move it in a "come hither" fashion, loving the reaction I'm getting out of him by being slightly demanding.

He doesn't have to be told twice. He practically jumps on top of me, before diving his tongue into my mouth. Our kisses intensify until our bodies finally join, and we move together, wrapped in each other's arms, whispering words of love between our moans and grunts and whimpers of pleasure.

Maybe it's for the best, but it seems the ridiculous gossip and recently posted pictures, have completely been forgotten for the night. Too wrapped up in each other to care about unimportant worldly nonsense that we'll surely have to deal with at some point, we envelope ourselves in each other instead.

Little did we know, the longer we waited to address the issue, the more blown out of proportion it would get.

* * *

 _"New power couple Tobias & Nita, taking in sights of Paris together."_

 _"Maybe FOUR is his lucky number? Hot celeb Tobias Eaton scores more than just a role this summer, seems he's got himself a girlfriend too."_

 _"Rocking her star-studded Valentino romper, Nita Paolos takes in the farmers market with Tobias Eaton and pals."_

 _"Nita Paolos grabs coffee with beau, Tobias Eaton in Paris, where they're filming their new George Wu film; FOUR."_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **What did you think? A lot happened in these two chapters. Would love to hear your feedback of what you thought of it all, or of the story in general so far. Feel free to leave a review or a PM! I always appreciate reading through them!**

 **Sorry if there were any mistakes. Again, I'm effort to get these posted to ASAP, neither of these two chapters have been beta'd. I may go back and update them, but a part of me just wants to proceed and get working on chapter 18!**

 **Stay tuned for more...there will be some _interesting_ scenes to film for a certain duo in the next chapter. Will get it posted as soon as I can.**

 **:-)**

 **-Madison**

 **Pinterest: madisonrose1129**


	18. Chapter 18

**Role of a Lifetime**

 **Chapter 18**

 **(Rated M/MA)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Divergent characters, Movies, Actors, Songs or Places referenced, etc. I'm just an average girl writing fanfiction.**

 **Please only read if you're of an appropriate age. This is a M/MA (Mature) rated story for explicit language and sexual content.**

* * *

 **TOBIAS' POV:**

I follow the sound of soulful music, making my way quietly back over to the bed where it seems my sleeping beauty still slumbers through her alarm, of which I've programmed to play "When a Man Loves a Woman" at her preferred wake-up time. The song is even more retro than usual, but I've had the Percy Sledge song stuck in my head since last night, and felt it was fitting.

But when I get close enough, I see she's actually already awake in bed, her cute black framed glasses atop her nose, as she types away on her phone. She's not usually a frantic texter, but she seems a little bit overwhelmed at the moment.

"Morning' babe," I say, sitting beside her, my hand resting on her sheet covered thigh. "You okay?" I ask.

She looks up at me, her shoulders relaxing a little. "Yeah, just trying to respond to everyone's messages. Christina, Lauren, Tori, my dad...everyone's been trying to get a hold of me it seems." She looks back down at her phone, letting out a small sigh, and begins typing again. "I don't know why everyone likes to make a big deal out of everything." She says, shaking her head a bit like she truly just doesn't understand people's logic.

"I'm sorry Tris..." I begin, again feeling beyond guilty for letting any of this happen. I should have known better.

"No," she cuts me off, "Enough with that. Its not your fault, okay? Let's just make the most of the situation, alright?"

I nod, smiling at her. "You're a smart woman, ya know. You could like, teach self-help classes or something."

She laughs, "You're ridiculous."

"You do realize your alarm music is still playing though, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," she laughs, "I just, think it's cute you picked this one. And taking me to the 60's now, huh?"

"Yeah, I was feelin' it," I say with a shrug, and I realize I'm smiling too. She makes me smile so easily... "I've also been getting Al Green stuck in my head recently."

"You would," She snickers and playfully pokes me, "And I know exactly what you're thinking, horn-dog."

 _"Let's get It On..."_ I begin singing, which causes her to laugh.

"You know you like it!" I say, tickling her now, causing her to giggle and try to wriggle away. "And it's all _your_ fault anyway."

She looks at me incredulously over her shoulder then, paused from where she had been climbing toward the foot of the bed, away from my tickling hands.

"I'm not getting horny for anyone else." I explain, making sure that although were being playful, my words are true. I then lean down, playfully biting the bit of her butt cheek not covered by her little peach colored panties. _She is so fucking sexy!_

I crawl over her then, my body spread out over the length of her, my chest to her back. I press into her slightly, letting her feel me, but still keep most of my weight on my arm resting on the bed beside her. My free hand runs along where I had just been nibbling, now grasping that blessed handful that is Tris' perfect behind. She's still giggling and pretending to fight and get away, but she's obviously mostly given up and is actually enjoying this just like I am.

My hand runs down her thigh and back up again, before going down her other thigh, but never quite running where I know she wants it the most. No harm in teasing her a little first.

"Does this feel good?" I ask against the shell of her ear, massaging the flesh of her butt once more before slowly sliding down to meet her now very dampened panties. _Fuck._ I love to see and feel the effect I have on her, my sweet Tris.

No longer trying to playfully wrestle me, she lets out a small whimper of a sigh and nods, letting her head fall forward as she feels me rub up and down her folds. I'm thankful for the thinness of her underwear so that I can feel all of her beautiful contours and crevices.

I may have found myself in a profession and in some odd situations where I've had women approach me to tell me how much I turn them on, or even once or twice more specifically, how _wet_ I make them. To be truthful, I've never really acted on it, prided in it, or even really ever told anyone about those conversations except once or twice to Zeke. I guess I always just took it as a random compliment and moved on. Although it was usually awkward, I'd be lying if I didn't say it's helped my confidence a little bit though. But _this_... _this_ pussy right here...is the one I'm meant for. This is the only one that matters, the only one I ever care to see again, and the only one I want to make wet, the only one I ever _want_ to fuck again. So I'm beyond relieved that I seem to turn her on so much, and am able to bring her pleasure. And man, do I _love_ bringing her pleasure.

She then shakes her head as if getting a hold of herself, smiling and attempting to pull away slightly, "Yes, and very distracting."

She sends one more message, and then sets her phone on the side table. She looks back at me and reaches for my hand that trails up, watching as we link fingers.

"I heard you get a bit frustrated out there, everything okay with you?" She asks. And now I feel even worse she heard me raise my voice; I was hoping not to wake her. I didn't think I was that loud.

"Sorry, I uh...fired my publicist and got a new one. She's recommended by Tori, her name's Nora. Nora Foster."

"Really? You let her go?"

"Yeah, she wasn't being very helpful to represent me how we had agreed upon. I let her know I want to publicly deny the Nita thing, even if I don't bring _you_ up at all. And she _still_ tried to discourage me from doing that. I don't know what would make her think I'd be okay with that, but she actually tried to get me to just ignore all of it and just stay quiet, at least until the movie is out. But I just... I can't do that. So I need someone who understands me and supports me."

She nods, understanding, and the left side of her mouth lifts into a small smile. "You're determined, aren't you?" She states more than asks.

"Yes, like I said, there's only room for one girl in my life, and I don't want anyone thinking it's her. Besides, if you and I ever happen to get caught...if people start noticing us together more now and making more assumptions...well, I don't want to be perceived as that kind of guy. I don't want to be accused of going from girl to girl, especially not when I'm serious about the one in front of me. If anyone's going to find out about us, they're going to know I'd never do that to you."

She smiles and nods, almost shyly. "I understand."

But I feel myself worrying about her. I know how strong she is, but I also know how much she wants her privacy, and if we get found out, she'll have a lot less privacy than she's accustomed to. But I have a feeling that's going to happen anyway. When critics and fans see her on the big screen, there's no going back. Still, how she feels about all of this is important to me.

"And...You're cool if, well...we happened to get found out? This is like, worth it to you, right?" I ask, gesturing between the two of us. "I mean, I know we kind of already talked about this," I say, playing with her fingers, "But I really want to make this work Tris. You're not just some girl I'm dating, you're so much more than that."

Her smile widens and she just looks at me for a moment for she leans in and kisses me. And although I get a thorough tasting of that talented tongue of hers, she pulls away much too soon for my liking.

"Yeah, we'll make this work, no matter what. But you think I can get Nora's number? I may need a publicist too." She chuckles, but she really does look a little anxious about it.

"I have a meeting with her tomorrow morning, I was hoping you'd be there."

She relaxes her shoulders and smiles, "Thank you."

Her phone buzzes on the table and she rolls her eyes, but rolls over to pick it up again. She looks genuinely surprised, but then she shakes her head as if she's not. "I guess we should have known." She chuckles nervously, eyes glued to her screen.

"Hm?" I ask, but she pauses a moment, scrolling and reading, her eyes getting bigger, before she looks back at me, holding it out for me to see.

"This just gets more and more interesting..." She murmurs.

On the screen I see what appears to be a text Susan sent her:

 _Trissy? [link attached]_

She clicks the link to see it's a picture of Tris and I in Paris last week. It was when we happened to have a small window of time free and snuck off to get some gelato together. I realize the link is to a social media website, and a fan has posted a few other pictures they took of us there too.

The first picture we're just sitting on a park bench together, focusing on our snack. Below it reads: _Saw Tobias Eaton in Paris! #bestvacationever_

Below that, is another picture of us, sitting on the same bench, Tris smiling helplessly yet adorably at me, as I steal a bite of her mint chip gelato.

 _These two were totally flirting, so adorbs! I totally ship them! Who is this chick? #tobias eaton #mysterygirl #so lucky_

The third and final picture this person has posted is a little blurrier as it's slightly out of focus, but it still shows enough. It's obvious our gelato's seem to go somewhat neglected as she rests her hand on my leg and looks up at me, and I'm smiling like an idiot, leaning towards her, my body language insinuating I had just kissed her, or am about to. And the girl's words below the photo only encourage it.

 _#tobiaseaton #swoon #yougomysterygirl #lovetriangle #BooNita_

I snicker at her hash-tags, but can't help but thinking about how I do recall kissing Tris then. It was brief, but definitely not just a friendly peck. I thought we were alone, but apparently not. I wonder if this fan got a glimpse of that, and she just decided not to mention it, or if that's actually all she saw. She's thankfully somewhat vague.

Still, we obviously need to visit less populated places.

Tris scrolls down a little to see other people's comments, and Tris' name catches my attention right away. She must see it too because she pauses to read.

 _"That looks like Tris Prior from his new movie, saw her pic on some movie database site recently. You're right, they're SO cute together!"_

Well, I guess the cats kind of out of the bag now. They know her name too.

Like clockwork, I feel my phone buzzing. Groaning, I pull it out and see its Nora. I show Tris and she nods towards it, encouraging me to answer it.

"Hi Nora." I greet her.

"You see the new photos?" She asks.

"Yeah."

"Alright, change of plans. Here's what you're going to do..."

* * *

Thankfully the PR meeting goes well. I'm beyond relieved that Nora, Tris and I, are all on the same track, and that we all like this plan. We're being optimistic, and I'm glad to hear Nora thinks this will be best for me, as well as for good movie press. After all, I don't want my supposed love-life drama to interfere with the movie release...I don't want a chance of my personal situation, or photos of me, to make people stray away from seeing the film, or for it to negatively effect my career.

So I'm excited to set things straight, and clear some things up.

However, I wasn't expecting so much to happen within the last 24 hours. A few more pictures leaked, both of Tris and I, as well as some of Nita and I, but none of which lead-on to my _"being"_ with either one. I just, well, obviously look happier in the ones with Tris. Doesn't that count for anything? Plus, there are tons of pictures of me with other cast members too, but I don't see those floating around online. Where are all those?

News also spread more that it was indeed _Tris Prior_ in the photos, and now questions and gossip is continuing to spread like wildfire. I'm kind of mad at myself for getting sucked up into the nonsense and caring so much. But I also can't stand the thought of people actually making the mistake of thinking I'm with Nita. Besides, Tris doesn't deserve that.

But she has been surprisingly calm and understanding through all of this. I think she's somewhat relieved that there seems to be slightly more _support_ than hate from the fans when it comes to she and I as a couple though. I think she was surprised, and happy to see she's considered a good fit with me, over Nita. Not that their opinions matter, and I know they don't to her. It's still comforting.

Bottom line is though, _I_ know she's a good fit for me, the _best_ fit, the _only_ fit. And I'm glad she seems to agree. But I can't deny it either, it's easier to handle the hype when it seems that people are excited for us. I appreciate their support and glad it seems to give Tris a little more confidence, whether she realizes it or not.

I love her so much, and I really want her to be happy, I feel like that's my new life goal. So I hope things continue to go smoothly despite all this nonsense, all this gossip bullshit.

Nora set me up an interview with a talk show for my other film being released, knowing the whole relationship status thing would come up. And we made sure to have the questions on my terms, but the interview won't happen until later this week, the day I happen to unfortunately have my more _intimate_ scenes with _Nita_.

That same day, is the magazine photo shoot that Jeanine Matthews help set up for Tris.

I was hoping Tris could be there during filming, although I'm sure it'd make her uncomfortable, and I'd feel bad about that. But if I've got to do it, I think in the long run, it'd make us both more comfortable if she were there. I guess we don't have much of a choice though, unless her photo-shoot is quicker than most. At least it will be nice having Christina and Lauren there.

Honestly, even if Tris were for some reason not in the picture, I still wouldn't be interested in Nita. I just hope Tris believes that. I know she trusts me, but I also know she's not excited about those scenes being filmed that day. But she'll be distracted and focused on her own thing, hopefully. I'm excited for Tris' magazine shoot, and she seemed pretty excited herself.

She seemed more nervous and apprehensive than anything at first, but after hearing what they want the interview section to focus on, and what their photo shoot ideas were, she got onboard pretty quickly.

She even snuck off to call Susan to tell her how she would be featured in Elle, and according to Jeanine, maybe soon also Vanity Fair. She and Tori have stepped in a bit and coordinated a few things for us this week to help boost movie production a bit, even though we're still filming. Thankfully the big chunk of promotional stuff will be post-production. However, like I mentioned, I do have a few promotional things to attend for _'War on Everything'_ , which hits theaters soon.

Right now though, we have to focus on preparing for our next scene, Four and Tris' love scene. The one Tris has been most nervous about. But to be honest, I've been a bit nervous too.

Although I think that's more because the jealous overprotective side is not looking forward to her getting 90% naked and pretending to orgasm with a handful of other men in the room. They may all be professionals, but she's a sexy girl and makes erotic noises without even trying, of which I like to savor all to myself. So when she's got to act it out? Fuck, that's going to be hard not to watch. But I guess I have to share a bit of her today, at least a sneak peak at a fictional version of her. I'm so glad she's modest and refused to do the scene _topless_ like Nita had planned on. I mean, her breasts are perfect for it. But, no. Mine! Caveman much? I have the right to be! My girl is gorgeous and she's completely oblivious to it.

Still, by comparison with the Nita scenes this Friday, this seems like a piece of cake to me. Besides, as an actor, I've done several scenes like this; just never with someone I've been quite so close and comfortable with, obviously. So I think it'll be that much easier to get the job done today. Acting like I'm in love and showing my passion for her will come naturally, piece of cake.

Hm, cake sounds good...

* * *

"Tell her, Tobias, she's going to do great today, right?" Christina says as I step into the trailer, finding Tris leaning on the counter with her head hung between her arms. She looks fully made-up and ready for the scene, but the tension and stress is radiating off her in waves. It's unmistakable.

"You okay, baby?" I ask stepping in further and coming up to rub my hand on her back. I lean closer so that my face is close to hers. "You know Chris is telling the truth, right?" I ask before kissing the top of her head.

She sighs and looks up at me, worry etched across her face. She's so fierce and determined, and I know she's just trying to hype herself up to get through this. But I see that deep down, she's also afraid.

"I just don't know how I got into this mess...what was I thinking? _Me?_ In a sex scene?" She says with an exasperated laugh. "I just hope George realizes this may not be what he's expecting."

"Tris-" I begin, but she cuts me off, pulling away and plopping back into the makeup chair.

"No, seriously- like, does he realize how inexperienced I am? How awkward I'm going to come off?"

I look at her, a bit dumbfounded by her words. I try my best to make her realize what I already know; she's going to do amazing.

"Baby, hey," I say, squatting down so that I'm eye level with her, and take her hand. She still doesn't look at me, but thankfully she knots her fingers with mine. With my free hand, I tilt her chin up for her to look at me, and she looks at me with those crystal blue eyes that have that unique grey outer area, the beautiful combination almost distracting me enough to forget what I was saying. But the anxiety I see in her gaze has me staying on track. In my peripheral vision I see Christina excuse herself to give us some privacy.

"Filming a scene like this...I know it's daunting baby, it was my first time too. I'm not going to lie; it can be kind of awkward, especially with so many people around. But it's part of the fun, you just have to laugh and make the most of it. Besides, you'll be a natural- delivering your lines like a seasoned-pro, as usual. And you're confident in the bedroom with me, so this should be no different." I give her a pointed look. She gives me a smile, but I can tell it's a little forced. "And you're beautiful and sexy as fuck, so don't you dare worry about anything in that regard." I kiss her cheek, before shaking my head as I ponder an issue of my own, "I just better hope I don't embarrass myself. Even with a camera in my face and a room full of dudes, I may still have a hard time keeping it down." I chuckle, glancing down at my crotch even though I know she knows what I'm referring to.

She snorts and laughs. And this time, I can tell her smile is real, if not a little relieved. "Tobias-" she begins, but this time I cut her off.

"Let's see...you base-jump, scuba-dive and free-dive, you jump off of buildings, you drive super- fast cars, just to name a few things..." I tickle her side, hoping to see that smile again. "Is there any activity you're actually afraid of? Or haven't accomplished? This scene will be a piece of cake for you." I assure her, chuckling along as I hear her giggles. I rest my fingers and give her a break, and she sits back with a shy little smile.

"And we're a team, remember?" I add, hoping to encourage her even more. I want her to always know I'm here for her. She's my priority. "We're in this together. And thank goodness you got _this_ hottie," I say, pointing to myself, "to do this type of scene with. We get to make-out, and we've already mastered that, so it'll be easy."

She smiles widely at me now, amused by my stupid cockiness. I watch as she bites her lip in amusement, not realizing how distracting that is to me. But I look back into her eyes, wanting to portray my truthfulness to the situation. The adoration I see there makes my chest warm. I love the way she makes me feel. "Yeah?"

I nod and repeat my earlier words, "Piece of cake. And I'll be with you every step of the way."

"I'm glad it's you, _hottie_." She teases, but then looks at me with more seriousness, "I don't think I could do this if it weren't with you." She admits, shaking her head. "But still, my _dad_ is going to see this movie..." She chuckles, a bit more humorlessly this time.

"We're not actually going to have sex, remember?" I chuckle, and she scowls at me before laughing. She then looks down at her lap and pulls at a stray thread in the seam of her robe tie.

"That's true. This isn't like some porno."

"The sex is just _implied_. Really, we're just going to get a little hot and heavy with some tongue action, we'll get a little handsy, and then they'll call cut. It'll be over before you know it."

She nods and smiles, looking grateful. I'm glad to see her spirits up, she's usually an extremely optimistic person, so when she's down, I know something is really bothering her.

"You really think you might get a boner?" She chuckles, looking at me skeptically. "Even with Ron behind the camera two feet away?"

She looks pleased by my disgusted look as I think about the friendly, but also very hairy older guy that is a regular cameraman.

"If it were anyone else in this scene with me, I'd say no. But _you_ my dear bring out sexual desires in me like nobody else. Unfortunately I wouldn't put it past myself to make this a very realistic scene when it comes to how _excited_ Four is, despite the audience. But I'll try my best to keep it down."

With that, she bursts out laughing.

It's not even five minutes later when we're being dragged to set, Tris still wrapped up in her robe looking slightly nervous.

I can tell by her body language that she's getting more anxious the closer we get, but as we step into 'bathroom' for the scene, she seems to relax a little.

"This isn't too bad." She says, referring to the small intimate space we'll be filming, and the small amount of crew surrounding this particular area. Plus, she recognizes the immediate crew working with us today. We know and have worked with them quite a bit already, so it really shouldn't be too bad. I think she was afraid it'd feel like some porn set, or that we'd suddenly be working with strangers.

"See, this'll be fun." I say, looking around and leaning against the sink as George comes over and starts organizing some papers.

She gives me an adorable smirk with her eyebrows raised. "Fun?"

Christina and Lauren come over, ready with their touch-up kits, standing off to the side. Then, the few more people filter over, doing the last minute things before we're ready, although it seems like they finally almost are. Making movies requires a lot of waiting around for the actors.

As I near my place, I rub my hands together and take a few deep breaths, before clearing my throat, making sure my voice is clear. Then I crack my knuckles and bend my neck back and fourth, cracking it to relieve the tension. Out of habit, I cross my arms comfortably as George comes over to go over things with us. It's extra important we get this right the first time or two, as we only have so many wigs that looks perfect, and it adds that much more time to get her hair re-fixed and re-set for the scene. So we're eager to make our first shot really count. A lot is riding on me, and my skills at cutting hair.

Being that there are very few lines during this scene, George has us actually play music during the scene, from the other room. He thinks it'll help with the acting, making it feel more natural with our movements, as well as the sound for the recording with the door ajar.

This scene follows the one where Harper finds out whoever's after them, knows about her as well, and is following the _both_ of them. So this is a big turning point for her. And not just in the fact that she's giving herself to him physically, but that she's trusting him, and choosing to take this route with him.

So it's important Tris and I nail this for our chemistry to really shine. This is an important scene in my opinion. If they're going to include it, we need to get it right.

Once George is confident he went over everything needed, he tells us it's time to start.

"Quiet on the set!" I hear someone yell and we take our positions. Me at the motel's small dining room table, and her currently out of shot.

I look at her standing off to the side and offer her an encouraging smile, hoping she sees my love and support in my eyes. "We got this." I whisper.

She nods once in response, giving me an unwavering smile back.

I love it. Just like I love the look of determination and excitement she gets whenever George is about to yell Action. Despite her anxieties about this scene, she still has that look on her face as he yells it this time.

Just as we rehearsed, as the cameras start rolling, I flick the lighter and ignite my 'passport' in hand...

 _ **FOUR sitting at table. Expression unreadable.**_

 _ **FOUR's passport - on fire.**_

 _ **FOUR holding it as it burns away. Picture of Four's face -**_

 _ **melting - bubbling - finally disappearing, - Four**_

 _ **letting go just before it burns his fingers and -**_

 _ **FOUR sits back. Then there's HARPER standing there. And**_

 _ **she's holding out her own passport -**_

 _ **He looks at her. Big moment.**_

 _ **FOUR:**_

 _ **No. I'm not burning yours.**_

 _ **(he won't do it)**_

 _ **You actually know who you are. Do you even know**_

 _ **what that's worth? That's everything.**_

 _ **(pause)**_

 _ **I can't live like this. I can't do**_

 _ **anything until I know who I am.**_

 _ **Believe me, you don't want what I have.**_

Her passport almost slips out of my hand as I shove it back towards her, but she just seamlessly snags it and tosses it on the table, before walking over to the nightstand to click on the alarm-clock radio as she's supposed to.

Harper [Tris] is currently wearing a simple pair of jeans and a white camisole, but boy does she look sexy. Once the sound of static comes through the speakers, she flips to a station she likes, before turning around, looking at Four [me]. We stare at each other a moment, before I look away.

 ** _Silence._**

 ** _And then, she steps forward. She touches me. My shoulder._**

 ** _FOUR almost recoils. Almost. He doesn't know what to do._**

 ** _Doesn't know how to react._**

 ** _HARPER is right in front of him now - she's taking his hand - and he hesitates - looking at her. She pulls him into the bathroom, hands him hair dye and waits._**

Just as I've been instructed, I take a deep breath through my nose, clenching my jaw, as I step towards the bathtub, box of hair dye in hand. She follows, and we continue to act through the scene of him reluctantly dying her hair (which is really Tris' wig) a blonde color, then cutting it shoulder length. It's short by comparison, but wavy and beautiful. But more importantly its much different from her usual medium brown hair that came closer to her butt. Which is what Harper is trying to accomplish to look like someone other than the old her. She needs a disguise.

After all, this is a matter of her life, their lives. And these guys don't play games. They're trained killers.

George only calls cut a few times when we get to the hair scene. We do a few takes to make everything look right and cohesive, and to dry and dampen her hair 'just right' in between takes. Lauren and Christina also mist us with squirt bottles so that it looks like our dimly lit bathroom is getting a little hot and steamy. But they are really running hot water in here too, so part of it is natural humidity.

But most of the time, George has us do longer takes, recording for minutes at a time, as he likes long shots like that with little editing/splicing. He's got his own unique style of directing, and we don't question it, because he's a genius. And so graceful and kind throughout all of it, it makes our jobs that much better.

As I reach up and run my hand through her newly cut tresses, we share a moment, much like the ones we shared throughout this whole bathroom scene, letting the tension build just as George requested.

She leans into my touch, looking into my eyes, and even as an experienced actor and with a camera right in our face, it's hard not to get lost in her intense gaze. She's so gorgeous and she's really actually mine. We may be acting, literally in the middle of scene right now, so that look is directed at Four, not at me- Tobias. But I've seen that look before, and I know I'll see it again. Because despite the fake hair and wardrobe, it's still my Tris, it's still her beautiful gray-blue eyes staring into mine, and I love those fucking eyes.

I love knowing _I'm_ the lucky bastard to have won her over, and promise myself to never take her for granted. She actually loves me! Like, the _real_ me. She knows all about the good, the bad, all about my past, all about my struggles, about my life goals and me. She already knows me better than anyone, and she's...my best friend. Yet, she's so much more than that. She's got to know she's the one for me, right? Like, _the_ one?

Maybe it's just the romantic/sexual music playing from the other room, coming through the door that's been left open, or if it's the steam we've created in the space from starting the hot shower, but the scene is definitely turning even more sexually charged than it was.

Just as directed by George, Tris reaches up and lays her hand over mine as she leans into my touch, then I briefly look down at her lips, before she runs her hand up my arm and around my neck.

We're still both silent, as she takes her other hand to take my free one, and moves it slowly down her body. I make sure to make it look like Four's mind is racing, and his desire apparent. Not that it's a struggle to act that with her in anyway. I mentally refer back to the script to remember the factors supposedly running through his head, so that I can try and form the right expression.

 _ **\- is this happening? - she's taking his hand - moving it slowly down her body**_

 _ **\- staring at him - both of them silent - his hand - her skin - his**_

 _ **mind racing - he wants this - wants it in every way - but**_

 _ **it's overwhelming - when was the last time something like**_

 _ **this happened? - he can't remember - he doesn't care -**_

 _ **he's pulling her toward him - and they're kissing - and...**_

She's yanking on my t-shirt, so I help her lift it off of me, revealing my freshly water-sprayed chest, which apparently makes me look sweatier and apparently more enticing on camera.

I let my fingers take the familiar trip up her sides to take off her tank top, revealing a simple yet sexy lace bra. The kind Tris calls a bra-lette I think? I agreed this was a clever way for her to be seen sexily from the front, as the studio wanted, while still keeping it tasteful. _Thanks for that idea Tori!_

Tris continues to act through the scene impeccably, holding eye contact with me, and giving me a look with just the right amount of lust and tentativeness. Yet, she still has that determination in her eyes, and her assertion with getting me started. Finding it easy to play off her movements and expression, I continue through as we practiced, by slowly helping her to remove her pants. Which leaves her in her white panties, which are simple plain cotton, but a bit of a sexier slim cut then what you'd imagine. _So sexy!_ I actually wish she didn't have to get quite this uncovered for the scene; I'd rather selfishly keep this view to my very own. But with our jobs, we unfortunately can't be quite so picky. Thankfully they made some compromises from Nita's originally planned-to-be topless scene though, and let her have the illusion of it instead.

The camera slowly swivels around and behind Tris, just as my hands roam slowly up her waist and removing her bra along the way.

Her bare back is now to the camera, and even though she's wearing precautionary nipple pasties, I can sense she's glad to just be only facing me.

As we rehearsed, the camera continues to move around us to the other side, just as I'm reaching for her again, and my mouth finds hers. The idea is that my arm will be strategically covering her breasts.

Even though she's on camera, her kiss is still sublime. And even though right now she's 'Harper' and I'm 'Four', I still kiss her good and hard, like I would if it were just she and I.

George had said to make it instinctual, yet still within character. To show Four is hesitant and unsure at first, with an internal battle in his head before he eventually gives in, finally showing her that to him, she's much more than just a girl he's hitched a ride with.

So I move my lips along hers, letting my tongue slip out to dance in rhythm with the music still playing from the other room.

She smiles into the kiss, which wasn't part of the plan, but it works. It must look and feel natural enough for George, because he doesn't yell cut yet.

At least not until a few moments later, when it's time for her to hop into my arms, my arms cradling her underwear-covered rear to walk her toward the bathroom. Although she does it gracefully, she ends up clunking her head on the mic.

She laughs and I can't help but break into a grin just as I hear our director speak up as expected. "Cut!" George hollers with a laugh of his own. Within seconds, Tris has a robe draped over her, and her makeup is being touched-up where it was smudged slightly from our kissing.

I notice the blush in her cheeks from her embarrassment at hitting her head on boom microphone. She looks beautiful.

* * *

 **A/N-**

 **There you have chapter 18! What did you think?**

 **Hopefully it was worth the wait, I really appreciate your patience! Life gets so crazy busy, I barely have free time to write. But I still love it and plan** **to continue, assuming I keep a group of interested people to read my work!**

 **In case you didn't see my Tumblr post, this chapter was originally so long that I split it in two. So that means CHAPTER 19 WILL ALSO BE UP SOON! I plan to do a quick re-read/edit of it after I run a couple of errands. Hopefully it'll be posted in a few hours, at the latest. So stay tuned if you'd like to read more!**

 **As always, thank you to all of you who read, and especially to those who leave me feedback. I REALLY appreciate it!**

 **Also, thank you so much to my friends that help me with editing, questions and suggestions. My writing is always so much better with your help polishing it up!**

 **If you'd like to check out my Pinterest that has pictures that help inspire this story, my user name is: madisonrose1129**

 **:-)**

 **-Madison**


	19. Chapter 19

**Role of a Lifetime**

 **Chapter 19**

 **(Rated M/MA)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Divergent characters, Movies, Actors, Songs or Places referenced, etc. I'm just an average girl writing fanfiction.**

 **Please only read if you're of an appropriate age. This is a M/Mature rated story for explicit language and sexual content.**

* * *

 **TOBIAS' POV:**

I'm brought out of my daydream, admiring Tris' beauty when the boom operator laughs and apologizes as he lifts the pole higher, readying it for us to try the scene again properly. Obviously he wasn't accounting for Tris' full height when she's up in my arms. He must have forgotten she seems to have springs in her feet and she gets a good leap when she jumps in my arms.

Tris looks from the boom operator, and then to George, giving them an apologetic shrug, "I think I jumped a little eagerly." She says with a chuckle. "I'll take it a little easier."

"Maybe a little, but that's what we want. Harper is letting herself have this...to give in to this temptation, to this mysterious man she think she might be actually falling for, despite neither of them knowing much about his past." George explains, looking between Tris and I.

A pleased smile forms on his face. "You're doing great so far, trust me. We're going to run through this again, but keep it going just like you were. I liked the smile into the kiss Tris, do that again."

She blushes and nods, before looking at me. "I couldn't help it." She whispers to me as George goes off to his standing spot.

I kiss her cheek before Christina shoos me away, and George directs us where to re-set.

We do the scene again a few more times, but mostly we have to re-take the part where I'm supposed to do the thrusting of the hips, pushing her up the tile higher and higher against the wall.

It's like déjà vu with her, except this is not nearly as fun as when we are usually in this position.

Not only is there usually more privacy and actual nudity, but thankfully she also doesn't normally laugh quite this much when I get going. Usually she's too caught up and turned on by what we're doing to find it hilarious.

But right now, it seems whenever our kisses turn to Four and Harper supposedly having sex, she just breaks into a fit of giggles. It's adorable and endearing, and I love the sound of her laughter. And I admit, it's hard not to laugh along! But I also know we need to finish the scene, so I finally decide to see if I can do anything to help keep her focused, or maybe more...distracted.

Between takes, I feel her hand linger on my back, holding me kind of closer than usual as she regains herself from her laughter. She dabs at her eyes, looking up at me. "I'm sorry, it's just- you're like, pretty much dry-humping me every time. And everyone is so serious, paying such close attention...I'm just not used to filming these types of scenes; I'm a stuntwoman, remember? I do the more active scenes."

"You wouldn't call this active?" I ask, holding a straight face.

That makes her burst out laughing again, her hands coming up to cover her face. "Oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into?"

"We're almost done, baby. You're doing so good." I say, more conforming now. She leans into me a little, looking at me with a small smile. She looks grateful for the compliment, like it's boosted her confidence a little. But how could she not see that? Up until she starts laughing, she's always on the ball. She's got her lines down well, her facial expressions spot-on, she's mastered the sex appeal... she really is awesome.

"It's true. You're amazing, you're always so determined to get it right, and you do. This will be no different."

"What do you suggest?"

"I think maybe you just...well, it's not my usual method of acting, but I think you just need to get into character a little more. You know how much Harper wants Four, let her give in...Just like you should give in a little and remember it's still just you and me. Let yourself act the scene and do what you have to do, but don't think about what it looks like to those watching. Instead, focus on the feeling of me against you, feel the pleasure from the movement of my hips moving against you, against your warmth. Let yourself enjoy it, if even a little."

She looks up at me through her lashes, a little surprised, but listening intently to what I have to say.

"When I go to kiss your neck and you feel my tongue drag across your skin, be thinking about how much I want to do that in the privacy of our own room when we get home. How later, I'm going to drag my tongue so much further than just your neck." I say and see her bite her lip. I start adjusting my hold on a her a bit noticing I am getting hard from holding her like this and imagining doing to her later what I just told her to think about. She looks at me knowingly and runs her hand through my hair in understanding, although that does not help my predicament. I close my eyes to focus and when I open them I find her eyes on mine.

"You can still be acting in the scene, it's still Harper and Four. We're still keeping the real lovemaking for us alone, but you may as well enjoy this a little considering the actor you're doing this with happens to be me. It'll help the scene, it'll feel good, and it'll get us done here quicker so we can get out of here and be alone again. What do you think of that?" I ask, inhaling her naturally enticing scent and nipping at the skin below her ear, which causes me to hear a faint groan come from the back of her throat.

When I pull away, I see her exhale slowly, trying to calm herself, but she narrows her eyes at me, knowing exactly what I'm trying to do. "Eaton..." She scolds, glancing around to see if anyone had heard me.

"Don't worry, nobody heard. Those words were just for you, my love." I whisper as my hand tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear before running it slowly down the lapel of her robe, feeling the soft terrycloth beneath my thumb and index finger. My fingers ache to dip below the fabric and grab a handful. Her breasts fit so perfectly in my palms.

Not giving in so easily, she just rolls her eyes and chuckles, her eyes flitting over to George and Jeanine nervously before she looks back at me. But I see her gaze briefly roam over my bare chest, still sprayed to look nice and shiny in the dimly lit bathroom, before she makes eye contact with me again. I swear her eyes pause momentarily on my lips too, but it's hard to tell. Maybe I just wanted them to. I know I could stare at her lips all day. But once she'd locked me in with her stare, those beautiful eyes that look almost silver in this lighting, pull me in and take me to a place where it feels like everyone else has disappeared and it's just she and I.

I love the comfort and happiness of her gaze. How she looks at me with such excitement and love.

"Why do you insist on getting me all hot and bothered?" She asks in a loud whisper.

"It's part of the job, right?" I shrug with a smirk.

"It is?" She scoffs, giving me a playful shove.

"It's part of Four's character to be sexy and appealing to Harper in this scene, so it's my job to try and portray that." I explain amicably, and continue as I watch her holding back a smile. "And it's definitely part of my job as boyfriend to get you all hot and bothered, my dear Tris. Plus you're not the only one, only you can hide it better."

"Back-atcha, _boyfriend_ ," she says with a smirk of her own, still holding my eye contact. "Ready for the scene then, big boy?" She asks before licking her lips seductively, obviously showing me two can play at this game. She begins untying her robe, and just as I begin to see that sexy valley between her breasts, I stop her.

Swallowing thickly and clearing my throat, which is suddenly very dry, I remind her of the people surrounding us. Despite her wearing those little pasties over her nipples, neither of us prefers her showing off the rest of the goods. I liked it better when she was only facing me.

"Wait until we're in position? No need to give them a free show." I request, glancing around at the camera and sound guys, causing her to chuckle at me.

"Shut up. I bet _you_ being topless in front of all these people is just as enticing to them, Mr. Six-Pack. How gave you not been cast in a Greek Mythology movie yet?" She chuckles.

"Hey, that's a good idea." George says, interrupting us as he walks up to us. "Are you going to star in it too?" He asks Tris with a friendly wink. But then he gets back to business.

"Alright you two, we're going to take it through again. They fixed the showerhead, so you should be good now. Also, we're still going to pan around once you're up in his arms, we'll show your feminine curves from a side angle. We'll be moving slowly, so we can see the rippling of his back muscles and all that, but we want to keep panning around again." He explains, glancing at me before looking back to Tris, "We'll be zoomed in though, and you'll still be close, chest to chest with him, so nothing but a little side-boob will show still." He says and she nods along listening, seemingly trusting him more and more the more we work with him. She knows how tastefully he works, and how important it is to him that we're comfortable.

"We'll be closing in on your faces when you have that moment of staring into one another's eyes. It's important shows Four and Harpers deeper connection, showing it isn't just sex. And I notice Tobias naturally goes for your neck a lot, and if you haven't noticed, you have a very appealing and slender neck, so we'd like to highlight that. And we need more of an implication as to when he's, well...penetrating you, of course without showing anything below the belt. So upon that first real thrust of his hips that he gives you, try throwing your head back against the wall, like you're overcome with pleasure. Don't over-do it, but enough to make it noticeable. We'll show off the light glinting off your chest and neck and throat, showing what he's seeing and being turned on by, before he dives in and covers your skin with kisses. A few more thrusts and kisses and nuzzles, and then I'll cut, end of scene. It's short, and even still, a lot will be edited out." He tells Tris, trying to reassure her. "But trust me, it's going to look beautiful, you two already do together. And it'll probably end up less than five minutes of the movie, so it won't be highlighted as much as you might think. Don't stress."

Tris nods again, "Got it." She then looks to me, a little nervous, but seemingly more comfortable than she was earlier. He talks things through with her well, and appreciates that he keeps as few crew people around as possible.

"Got it." I repeat after her and we follow him to get back into place where we left off.

She drops her robe off to the side while facing me, and jumps into my arms, legs around my waist, and we wait there a moment until he calls 'Action'.

From there, we continue the scene, with the few little changes and additions George discussed. We get through it this time without a hitch, although just after George yells cut, Tris still bursts out in laughter. This time, everyone does too, including Jeanine. Everyone knows we just captured the best take, and that was definitely the keeper. George even applauds after.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit turned on by the whole thing. Feeling her skin against my lips and tongue, the lighting and atmosphere, the music...it was hot. But I kept myself in check, and kept my hands to myself the best I could. It will always feel a little weird pretty much making out right in front of people, but it somehow has always felt professional. Whereas this time, I'm actually in love with the person I'm acting with, so it's easy to get caught up in her. When he yelled cut, it was like splashing some cold water in my face. _Oh that's right! People are watching!_

I smile at Tori after, who gives me a wink. I think she's always thought we were a cute couple, she's always giving us those knowing motherly looks, even though she's only about 10 years older than me. I'll have to remember to thank her again for recommending Nora, who's been great.

I look over to find Tris, who is finally catching her breath from laughing and looks up at me. "We did it."

"See, that wasn't so bad, right?" I tease.

"Tell that to my panties." She whispers in my ear, but she straightens up as George comes over with a little device in his hand to play back a bit of the scene for us and Tris' jaw about drops when she sees how well it came out.

She looks at him, then me, then him again, still speechless. I think her cheeks are a little pink too.

"Wow." is all I manage to say.

"And that's pre-editing," he says, "You guys rocked it, yet again. Good teamwork."

She gulps, smiling shyly, "Thanks."

"You kids take lunch, see you on the next set."

Tris looks at me, a quirk of her eyebrow. "We're going to rock this next one too, it's easy in comparison. I bet we'll be out by 8 o'clock tonight."

"You know it." I say, smirking. I like her positivity. "What does this next scene entail again?" I ask, grabbing out my sheet of paper for reference, although I'm pretty sure I know which one.

"Guns and knives." She says with a smile. "We're off to Harper's cousins house to hide for a bit."

I guess that's why when we get to the catered lunch table, Clive Owen is eating and hanging out.

His character is in the scene too; he's one of the agents our characters are hiding from.

* * *

"So, spill. How'd it go?" Zeke asks us as we enter through the apartment door, before taking a pull from his beer. He's sitting back with his feet up, eating a bag of popcorn, as Die Hard plays on the big TV. Typical Zeke.

"Oh, I love this part." Tris says, snagging a handful of the snack from Zeke from where she stands behind the couch, as she watches the badass Bruce Willis scene before her.

"HA!" Zeke shouts, pointing towards Nita's closed bedroom door. He then looks at us. "She went off to watch TV in her room since she said no girls would willingly watch such a dude movie. At least not if she's not getting laid after." He said, using air quotes with the last sentence. He chuckles and flops back on the couch.

Tris frowns, "What's wrong with Die Hard?" She takes another bite before looking down at it weirdly, "And what's up with this popcorn? Did you put hot sauce on it?"

I chuckle as Zeke smiles widely and nods. "Yeah, it's the best, right? It's the only way I like it now. Pour a little in and shake it up."

She scrunches her nose and shakes her head in disagreement, but reaches for another small handful anyway, causing me to chuckle.

"It's alright. Buttered or kettle is still the best though."

Since it's near the end of the movie, we find ourselves sitting and watching the rest of it with him. I couldn't turn him down once he opened a tall can of Guinness for me. But he still bombards us with questions about our day, so we give him a few details and laughs. Ultimately though, he seems glad to hear it went well and that Tris is happy with how everything went. He doesn't like it when she's stressed either; he gets very 'big brother' with her. I didn't realize how important it was to me that they got along good, but I guess it does. Just like how Shauna fits into the mix well. I'm glad she's able to come and see him here soon; apparently she's coming out here next week.

"Well, I think I'm going to take a shower and head to bed." Tris says with a yawn as the credits begin to roll.

"Me too." I add, lifting myself from the leather couch, feeling the soreness in my arms and feet. Fuck, the second half of the day was much more physical, and I'm sore pretty much everywhere.

But that doesn't stop me from enjoying my evening with my girl. We bathe together, slowly soaping each other up, before we take things slow again in bed. She falls asleep with her cheek on my bicep, her face towards mine, looking beautiful and content.

That night, I find myself staring up at the ceiling, thanking God for the gift that she is, and praying that I'm worthy enough to have her for the long haul.

I pull her closer, needing to feel her close, as I close my own eyes and fall into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

 **TRIS' POV:**

"Gorgeous." Gianna says as I lift my chin slightly and smile a little as she suggested.

I don't like all of these lights in my face, but I guess this could be worse. I'm getting paid to smile at a camera.

I'm at my magazine photo shoot, and everything's going good so far.

I'm getting a bit restless though, and it's cold in here, although that could be my lack of clothing. I'm surprised the photographer's got me down to what I'm wearing. Originally I was supposed to have several wardrobe changes- all of which covered quite a bit of skin. But after we got most of the photos taken care of, she and her wardrobe specialist pulled me aside and threw this idea out, pointing out that it kind of goes with the article, and thought it might be a fun one to mix it up, while still supposedly making me look a little sexy.

So here I sit, wearing boy-shorts style underwear and sports bra, with a combat boot on one foot, and one shiny silver high-heel on the other. My hair is perfectly messy, and straightened out which really shows its length. I'm just glad to not be overwhelmed by the smell of hairspray like I was earlier with the other style they put it in. It was weird having someone besides Christina do my make-up, but they did all right. And although a bit eccentric, I'm glad they were friendly.

Over the last couple of hours that we've worked together, I've quickly become comfortable with Gianna, the photographer. She's so personable and not-pushy (like the mean lady that did my head-shots that one time), not to mention she's funny in a sarcastic in just the right dose. She's good at making me laugh and much more at ease in general than I thought I'd be through all of this. So when she told me her idea and made her points, and assured me we could delete them if I didn't like them after they're shot, I decided to just go for it. I'd be less covered in a bikini, so figured it wouldn't be too bad. And she's right, it goes with my story; tomboy/adrenaline-junky/stunt-woman with her girly/actress side that'll soon be walking red carpets in 4" heels such as the one on my left foot.

"I'm telling you girl, you're going to love this." She says, snapping several more pictures before looking down at the screen of her big fancy digital camera.

"Let me get one of you laying back. And now with the umbrella...looks great, now turn sideways..."

* * *

About a half hour later, when we're finally done, I move on to the interview with the journalist. I had already been emailed a handful of sample questions they'd be asking me, and we had discussed the general theme of the story like I mentioned, but I was becoming s bit more nervous as the leggy blonde sat before me with her recorder and wide eager smile. Her false eyelashes made her bright green eyes pop and it makes me wonder what I'm doing on this side of the camera when there's girls like this around. But I don't question my luck and smile back at the girl as she barrels through the questions.

She ends up being pretty nice too, although a little personal with some of her questions. I think I stray away from them fairly well though. Thankfully she only asks a couple of generic questions about Tobias or my love life, is a fairly safe and easy one that anyone could answer.

"Is Tobias Eaton just as handsome in real-life? I bet working with him made getting up in the morning a little easier, huh?"

"Yes, he's definitely got the handsome thing going for him." I chuckle and answer the second part of her question carefully, "It's never easy to have regular 4am wake-up calls, but he likes to help keep things interesting on-set, everyone's always goofing around in our off-time, so at least it's never boring."

"I've heard you share a few kisses in the film. Have you already shot those? Is he a good kisser?"

"We have. And yes he is. As expected, right?" I can't help the blush the flushes my cheeks.

She nods and laughs, then adds one more question that I wasn't expecting, but I don't mind answering it.

"Being that he's an established actor, and you're new to having so much real screen-time, was he helpful throughout filming? Did he help train you at all?"

"Yeah, he's been a huge help. I told him early on that I appreciated any and all advice, and he's been really great. He likes to make me laugh and get me in trouble sometimes too, but it's all in good fun." I chuckle again, thinking of George playfully scolding us when Tobias would sneak me away or try to play catch with me with random props between takes. He loves doing silly things like that.

"Well, I think I have everything I need. It was nice to meet you." She says as she stands.

"You as well."

"Do you mind if I get a photo with you too?" She asks.

"Of course not." I reply with a friendly smile, standing as well. I lean in, putting my arm around her shoulder like she is mine, as Gianna takes a picture of the two of us side by side smiling kindly at the camera. It feels kind of weird being the one asked to have her picture taken with someone.

I also get my picture taken with Gianna before I go, and am told my issue of the magazine will be hitting stores next month.

Once I'm done and I step out into cool evening air outside the building, I pull my denim jacket a little tighter around me, thankful I had the foresight to bring it. I'm wearing a simple grey cotton dress, and it's not as thick as I remember it being.

Not wanting to bother with calling a driver with a car, I take the train since I know this route pretty well.

Tobias asked me to come watch the rest of their filming if I make it in time, as he really wanted me to be there today. He was excited for me, and my magazine shoot, but was disappointed it happened to fall on the day he'd have to go lock lips with another girl. We often go watch each other on our off-days anyway, but I'm becoming a bit more anxious the closer I get to the studio for this particular scene they're shooting today. I'm done with mine pretty early, so I have a feeling I'll still make it there with plenty of time. So I'm trying to prepare myself for what I'm about to see.

I know this is all just part of the job, and just like when he and I were doing our intimate scene, there are quite a few people around, so it's not like Nita's getting him alone and making out with him. But I still don't like the thought of her lips on him at all, nor her hands. This isn't my movie though, so I don't get to call the shots.

I feel a buzz in my purse so I pull out my phone, seeing a text from Susan.

 _Susan: Just booked the flight! I'm flying out Monday, I'll be there early Tuesday morning. You're the best, thank you!_

I smile to myself at my friend's message and quickly type a reply.

 _Me: Yay! You're going to love Paris. And I'm SO excited to see you!_

She had teased me before I left, giving me a hard time for ditching her in Cali for Paris for a few months, where she supposedly has wanted to visit since she was a little girl. I was glad for the light-hearted banter before I left, not wanting to feel too emotional over leaving home for so long, and so far away. Even though France sounded exciting, especially with Tobias with me, everyone gets homesick, and I was a little afraid of that.

Even though she had just been playfully giving me a hard time, and ended up giving me a speech of encouragement and support for me, leaving us both teary eyed, I knew deep down she really would love to come to Paris too. I knew that she loved her job teaching, and loves where she lives- we're still both California girls. But she deserves fun international vacations too. So when I knew she had school break, which happens to fall over her Birthday, I decided to treat her to a trip out to see me film here in Paris. She'll be here for 10 days, although I think she will want to stay longer, and I'm not opposed to that. As much fun as I'm having here, I still miss my friend! And I'm excited to introduce her to Christina and Lauren.

Once I'm stepping off the train, I get another text buzz. But this time it's from Christina.

 _Christina: I hope you get here quick, your man is hilarious!_

 _Me: What's going on?_

 _Christina: Nita tried seeing if she could still do her scene topless after all, and he won't have it! I actually think he threw up in his mouth a little…LOL_

 _Me: Did they consider it?_

 _Christina: David and Jeanine did, but George and Tori voted against it. And like I said, 4 through a fit!_

 _Me: Ha! I wonder how that all went down...but why dwell on that? I'm almost there._

 _Me: They're still filming?_

 _Christina: Yeah, you on your way? How long?_

 _Me: Be there in 5._

When I do get there a few minutes later, I'm greeted by the usual people, although a couple of them give me sympathetic looks, knowing what I'm about to go in and see. As I tiptoe over to the group, Christina spots me and quietly makes her way over to me. She gives me a look like she's squealing, but she's silent since they're currently filming only about 20 feet away.

I smile back, shaking my head in amusement at her behavior, but I can't wait any longer, so I attempt to peer between the bodies in front of me to get a glimpse of what they're doing.

I can't see much, but I do get a glimpse of a bed and a semi-shirtless Tobias. I shuffle quietly over closer to the right, where I'm still out of the way, but can hopefully get a better angle, which I do.

Just as the couple of the hour comes into my view, Nita -or rather, Nikki- is stepping out of her dress and towards Four in her skimpy lingerie. He's sitting on the edge of the bed in slacks and a white dress shirt that's been unbuttoned, showing his golden skin stretched over his defined pecs and abs. A sprinkling of hair dots his chest, and my eyes follow the line of muscles all the way down. No wonder they want to get him shirtless in this movie as much as possible, he looks perfect.

Returning my eyes to the scene at hand, I watch as she leans in to kiss him, her hands going into his hair. His hands go from her hips up her back, but stay there.

I reluctantly continue watching as he kisses her back.

I know this is all acting and fake, and they're obviously filming as this is happening, but it's still odd to see him kiss someone else. Even though I've seen it in his other movies and stuff it's much weirder now. It's even weirder when he has to then flip her onto her back, before he leans up to finish removing his shirt, then dives back in to kiss her once it's off.

"Cut!" George yells moments later, and just like that, Tobias is off her and standing, grabbing his shirt off the floor, which he then immediately uses to wipe off his mouth. I have to stifle my laugh at that.

Nita is there left on the bed, chest heaving and flushed, a look of hunger obvious on her face as she keeps her eyes on Tobias. Of course he's probably actually turning her on! I don't blame her though; he has that effect whether he tries to or not. Add kissing and his moves to that, and she'll turn to butter. But I know that's not his intention. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

"Good job guys, that's all we need for that segment. Let's move onto the last one."

"Are you sure? I just realized that my bow wasn't tied the whole time." Nita says, looking down at the thin satin bow between the bosom of her black and red push-up bra.

"Minor unnoticeable detail. The shot looked great, we're moving on." George says with a no-non-sense attitude. He's a very kind man, but he's honest and forward. He's open to ideas, but he also doesn't mess around. He's very efficient with his time use.

"But, Nikki is CIA. She'd have paid attention to those minor details." She almost argues back, but she's standing and accepting the silk robe that wardrobe hands her. She seems to be giving-in, but not without a little attempt at getting her re-shoot.

"She and Four have also been getting a bit frisky, and I think her bow could likely come undone. So it stays as-is, Nita. Now please get ready for your next scene." George says, as if dismissing her.

With that, Tobias tries and fails to hold back a smile and shakes his head at her behavior, while reaching for the travel-sized mouth wash hidden in his pocket. He swishes some around before spitting it out in an empty water bottle and throwing it away. He turns to walk towards his costume trailer to change, but Nita tries looping her arm through his as they walk off set, saying she's a bit off balance on her heals.

"You've had plenty of practice in heels." He comments before brushing her off. He grabs his fresh water bottle and his phone from the side table, and when he finally looks up, he notices me standing off in the background. His face lights up at the sight of me, and just like that, the scene I had just witnessed is forgotten. It may be an image that'll be hard to get out of my head, but when I see the way he looks at me, it pretty much throws away my insecurities and just warms my heart like a wildfire. This is the look of love.

He holds eye contact with me as he strides toward me, and for a quick moment I wonder if he sees the same expression reflected in my own eyes.

I feel so strongly for Tobias, it's almost scary. I already can't imagine my life without him. I mean, I was getting along perfectly fine until he came along, but then I really realized how much I was missing. How much I'd be capable of feeling for someone... how completely in love I could be.

Sure, my parents set a pretty good example. I always admired their love and respect toward one another. I'd occasionally see the special looks they'd shared, and remembering it was sweet. I'd wanted to have someone special in my life like that one day. But I never really understood the gravity of what being in love feels like, how passionate it can be, how it brings a whole new meaning to life when you meet the right person.

And I think I've concluded mine is right in front of me.

"You made it," he says with a grin, before leaning in to kiss me when it seems nobody's looking. "How was your photo shoot? I missed you."

"I've missed you too. How's it going? Seems like you're almost done for the day."

"Yeah, this has been...interesting." He chuckles, "I'll share the details later, but yeah, it's gone alright overall. I still wish I didn't have to kiss her, but at least that's all it is. And it was quick, that was thankfully the only segment where George actually made us lock lips. The rest were just close-up intense stares and shared glances."

"Really?" I ask with a chuckle, not realizing that's what it'd entail. Especially compared to Four and Harper's scene that we recently shot, that sounds pretty mild.

"Yeah," he shrugs, "I mean, besides us holding hands running towards the supposed hotel room from an elevator. Apparently this is just going to be a montage of sorts, to show he had a past with her." He explains, and I think about the script explaining how Four has a flashback of him being with Nikki when she approaches him later in the movie. She puts him in an awkward situation, almost throwing in the love-triangle concept. But Four barely feels like he knows Nikki considering his memory-loss, and he doesn't care all that much for the current version of her, so he makes the obvious choice, leaving the viewers with the assumption he and Harper have a happy ending together.

Christina comes back over and bumps me with her elbow, but looks to Four. "Did you tell her how you pushed Nita off your lap the first time when she tried to use tongue?"

He laughs and shakes his head, like he still can't believe her. "Tongue wasn't needed."

"She wasn't too happy when she fell to the floor." Christina replies, looking at me then with an amused grin, "She was fuming. Couldn't believe he turned her down for something like that, especially without you here to get in the way."

I chuckle and ask, "What did George say?"

"He wasn't very happy I moved my legs and dropped her on the floor like that," Tobias says with an unapologetic laugh, "But I had already warned her. As for what he thought of the overall situation? Well, she thought it made the scene more realistic, but he knew I wanted to avoid it if possible, and agreed it'd be just as realistic without showing that much detail. Especially considering the actually snippet of the kiss will probably be less than two seconds within the montage, so as long as it looks passionate and like it's leading to more, that's all George cared about."

"He did great, you should be proud." George speaks up, suddenly coming up from behind me and placing a hand on Tobias and my shoulders, but he's looking at me. "And he's right. We may be in France, but a French kiss wasn't necessary this time."

"By the way Tris, how was your magazine shoot?" George asks then, although he's already grabbing his stuff to prepare for the next scene. He looks up, making gentle eye contact with me like he's still listening and paying attention though.

"It went really good, thanks. I think it highlighted the film really well too. Thankfully the interview turned out to be easier than I expected."

I feel Tobias hand rub small circles on my lower back, and I can't help but lean into his side a bit. I've missed his closeness today.

"Good to hear. Looking forward to seeing it on the newsstands. You'll sign my copy, right?" George asks with a kind smile.

I roll my eyes at his comment, but nod and laugh all the same. "Don't you have a scene to direct?"

"Not until you stop distracting my lead." George snickers back, nodding his head in the direction of Tobias. "Shouldn't you be getting your dirt and sweat on?" He then nods his head toward Christina who is still standing nearby listening to all of this.

"I'm ready when you are." She says, patting her waist-apron full of makeup supplies.

"Good, see you in a few." George says before grabbing his clipboard and walking away.

I turn towards Tobias, "I should let you get back to work." I say, reaching and up to fix his hair from where Nita had fluffed it up a bit. I run my fingers through it a little, loving the feel of his soft brown locks against my skin. Even with product in it, I can run my fingers through it, and I love it.

But I try not to let it look too affectionate, I have to remind myself people are still everywhere and most have a cell phone on their pocket. I feel like I'm constantly worried about people taking pictures of us now.

But those worries fade to the back of my mind, getting too distracted by the sound of his deep sexual sounding groan that emits from his throat when my nails run along his scalp. It's brief, but I watch as he takes a moment to close his eyes and lean into the touch, letting my hand get in there even better. I scratch is scalp a couple more times, brushing his hair back and letting it fall perfectly into place like it always does when Lauren uses that special paste in it.

"Ahem." Christina coughs, not so subtly, interrupting our little moment.

"Alright, alright." I say, stepping back. But Tobias leans closer and places a quick kiss to my lips. I'm surprised, being that he didn't even spare a glance around first to see if someone was watching. And I'm surprised I don't care as much as I though I would.

Instead, I smile at him and bite my lip, hoping to tell him with my eyes how much I love him.

"Get to work, I'll be watching from over here." I assure him.

He nods, and then seems to remember something. "Don't forget, I have to go directly over to do that talk show after this."

"Okay."

"You're coming with?" He asks. Christina rolls her eyes and leans in with her smudged make-up sponge as she begins dabbing his cheek with fake smears to make him look dirty and sweaty for his scene.

"Do you want me to? Is that a good idea?" I ask him; unsure if paparazzi or fans will be aware of his arrival to and from the studio it's filmed at. I watch a little distractedly as she adds a small fake smattering of blood above his eyebrow.

"Yes, I do. And they have a private entrance, so we'll be fine. Are you feeling up to it?"

"Sure."

"Good." He smiles.

"Okay, shut up love birds and let me do my thing." Christina playfully scolds as she pushes him into a chair so she can reach better.

Within minutes, he's transformed quite a bit from her expertise, and before I know it, they're announcing its time to start. Nita then strolls back into the room, thankfully a little more clad this time. Just as she walks by us, she nonchalantly grabs his hand and pulls him after her towards the set as she says, "My turn."

He stumbles after her, shooting me an apologetic look over his shoulder. I watch as he removes his hand from hers, but follows her nonetheless, as he knows he's got a job to do and shouldn't delay it any longer. I know he just wants to get this over with.

I watch as they do their last scene of the day, another supposed snippet of Four and Nikki's life from before. This time they appear to be on an important mission together, but there's supposed to be sexual tension. Especially when they fall through the vent and she lands on top of him, straddling him. The scene is again supposed to show they were in the field together at one time, and again, had some sort of relationship in the past. They still leave the viewers a bit hanging as to what happened between them before his memory loss, and all he has are these brief flashbacks.

I admit I'm glad they wrote the story so that he falls for Harper instead.

When they're finally done and George says the actors are good to go. Tobias doesn't have much time before we need to leave, if we're not going to be late. And we don't want to leave Graham waiting! So he gives me a quick kiss on the forehead, before going off to take a quick shower. He also plans on just changing here, as he brought his suit for the talk show interview. But he has to go grab it before heading to his trailer for his shower.

And since Christina has to clean up her stuff and meet with the crew, I find myself standing outside on my phone replying to an email from my dad. But that's when Nita comes over and mumbles a snarky comment as she walks by.

I ignored her the first time, but I couldn't help myself the second time she spoke up.

"It's a good thing the cameras weren't here today, huh?" She murmurs with a little giggle.

I turn and look at her retreating figure, "Excuse me?"

I know I had asked that as if she was utterly pathetic, but that's how I feel. Why does she feel the need to say stupid little things like that? Her attitude is so immature and really shows a lot about her personality. Can't she just walk by and smile? Or say hi? Or nothing at all?

She turns back to face me and takes a few steps closer. She shrugs like she's being indifferent, "I'm just saying, it probably wouldn't have looked to good if more pictures were leaked online of Tobias and I in compromising positions like that, especially when he has such a genuine smile on his face. I really don't want to interfere with your relationship any more than I already have, so I'm glad this place is secure from paparazzi and whatnot." She explains, her voice soft as if she's the sweetest friend a girl could have. "You're a lucky girl though Tris, he definitely feels like he's packing some heat down there if you know what I mean. I bet he's huge, right?"

I scowl at her comment, but it only seems to be what she wanted, because she continues with a teasing smirk on her face. "Tell me, how long does it usually take to help him get it up? I bet it's in good working order, despite what he's got to work with, hmm?"

My jaw practically drops at that, not believing how she still talks to me, especially when we're somehow left alone like this.

"Nita-"

But she puts her hands up to stop me, "TMI, right? Sorry, forget I said anything. I was just curious. Me and my girlfriends talk about sex all the time, I forget you're not like that."

I sigh and try to ignore her smirk, gathering my purse and water bottle. She makes a move like she's going to walk away too, but of course she wants to try and have the last word.

"At least I probably gave him some fantasies to imagine..." She mumbles under her breath, but obviously loud enough for my benefit.

"You know what, Nita? Don't underestimate me. I know more than I say, think more than I speak, and notice more than you realize. And I've had enough. I'm tired of keeping my mouth shut. I've often admired what you have and all you've accomplished, but ultimately, I just feel bad for you."

She balks and looks at me like I have two heads.

"How you treat others and how you try to make them feel, shows you a lot about yourself, doesn't it? Happiness isn't about always getting what you want. It's about loving what you have and being grateful for it."

"Who ever said I'm unhappy? And I _am_ grateful for what I have. Don't you dare talk to me like that you little b-"

"No, stop right there. You don't have to call me a name to make yourself feel better. Bottom line is, just leave my boyfriend alone, okay? I know we're all making a movie together, and I'm sorry if you have hard feelings towards me. But we need to get along. So just please, stop chasing after someone who isn't yours, and who doesn't want you and just be professional. As for your personal life, I want to suggest you try being an example to your fans. Work hard, and be _yourself_ to attract them. You don't have to live up to some ridiculous standard. The people who belong in your life will come and find you and stay. Just do your thing."

Now her jaw seems to drop like mine had before and she doesn't say anything, so I continue to speak as I slowly walk backwards, away from her. I want this little spat to at least end in somewhat of a positive manner, to avoid any further repercussions at home later. I want to avoid more arguments. Besides, I want to really get it in her thick skull that she needs to try and improve in some areas. "Just be yourself. Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful, magical person that is in there somewhere. You'll find the right one for you. And he'll be handsome and awesome just like Tobias. You deserve happiness too. Okay? You're just looking in the wrong place."

I don't give her a chance to respond before I turn and walk away.

When I follow the path though and turn the corner, I almost smack right into Tobias' chest.

"Whoa." He says, bracing me by catching my elbows. Once we're steady, he smiles and looks at me. "You okay?"

"I...yeah." I say, chuckling now. I'm not sure what to tell him exactly. "I just, had a few words with Nita is all."

"Oh?" He says, an amused smirk taking over his face.

"Mmhmm." I confirm, steeling a glance up at him as I link arms with him and walk towards the awaiting car. He's still watching me with that smirk and looks like he wants to pounce on me.

"You look good." I tell him, admiring his well-fitting suit. He definitely looks camera-ready.

"You look better." He replies, taking one of his hands from my elbow to wind around me and pull me close. He kisses me deeply for a few moments, before pulling away and looking back at me again.

"By the way, Susan agreed to come out here to visit, she's flying in next week." I tell him.

"That's awesome. She'll love it. And you know Shauna's coming. And Nita told me how her sister's coming as well. So it'll be a full house."

"Should be... interesting." I say with a chuckle, not sure what to expect with her sister. Although I'm not surprised, the producers were encouraging us to have a visitor's week.

"Interesting? Sure. But it won't be so bad. Especially after I get this interview taken care of." He says.

But I recognize that sparkle in his eye. Great, what does he have up his sleeve this time? Does Nora know about this?

I'm starting to panic a bit, but why I don't know.

* * *

 **A/N- I just want to say thank you again for all the support you give this story. Not only does it have a ton of favs/follows, but I'm now almost at 1,000 reviews! That's SO awesome to me, you have no idea! I really appreciate every single one, and hope you continue to review and support authors out there. Trust me- it's extremely encouraging!**

 **I noticed this is now also my second-longest story (longest one being 'New Life in Portland', which was my first one). So that's exciting! I'm not sure how long this story will turn out, I was thinking around 25 chapters, but it might end up being a little longer. I'm just so excited to get started on my other story ideas too!**

 **Not sure when I'll get the next Chapter (20) up since I have yet to start it. But rest assured, I'll get it posted as soon as I can!**

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 **Thanks! :-D**

 **-Madison**


	20. Chapter 20

**ROLE OF A LIFETIME**

 **CHAPTER 20**

 ***Rated M/MA***

 **Disclaimer: I have no rights towards the Graham Norton Show, the movie 'War on Everyone', or any of the other movies, TV shows, brands, places, people, etc. that I mention in this story. This is just my fanfiction, with many real world/modern day references.**

 **Please only read if you're of an appropriate age. This is an M/MA (Mature) rated story for explicit language and sexual content.**

 **(Author's note at the end of the chapter.)**

* * *

 **TOBIAS' POV:**

I'm glad Tris came along with me to the TV studio, not only for the support and calmness she always seems to provide me, but also because it's preparing her for when she's back here in a couple of months promoting 'Four'. They've already booked that for us, as well as all sorts of other shows and interviews during the press tour.

Tris is a natural on camera, that much is obvious. But when it comes to _live_ TV or TV interviews, she gets some anxiety. So hopefully by hanging out with me here today and getting the feel of things first, she'll feel more familiar and comfortable when she comes back.

 _'The Graham Norton Show'_ is pretty ridiculous, but it's actually a lot of fun and nothing to stress about. It can get a little wild for a talk show though. The last time (and only time so far) that I've been a guest on the show, I competed against Graham, Seth Rogen and Bill Murray in a drinking game, got a kiss square on the lips from Dawn French, and admitted to secretly liking the movie _'The Notebook'_ as we somehow got on the topic of popular chick-flicks.

I guess it really does make things more interesting when you have all three or four guests come out at once, rather than individual interviews, and it doesn't hurt that alcohol is optional.

I'm anxious to see how today turns out.

Tris, Nora and I are currently being escorted back to the greenroom before we start. We're pushing it on punctuality, as our flight was a little delayed. But thankfully we seem to have made it just in time. I'm assuming Michael and Alex are already here though.

I'm proven correct, hearing their laughter as we approach the door. Their laughter turns into a loud greeting once they see me enter the room though, making me feel welcome.

Nora is intently clicking away on her phone off to the side, while Tris remains shyly hanging out by the door, leaning casually against the armrest of the empty chair beside her. When I notice this, I nod my head, encouraging her to join the guys and me. After all, I want to introduce her and treat her like the significant other that she is to me.

"And who might this be?" Alex asks, and I can't help but notice how he looks her up and down. I'm sure Michael is doing the same. I know it shouldn't bother me as much as it does. I notice guys (or girls) check her out, I can't exactly blame them, but it does bother me. She looks effortlessly beautiful in her black skinny jeans and that long floral top thing, her cheeks tinting a light shade of pink under their gaze as she steps forward and lifts her hand to shake each of theirs. Besides, these guys are great, and I fully trust them. We've become pretty good friends, and I'm actually quite glad to see them again. We've kept in touch, but it's been awhile since we've seen each other due to our busy schedules. We wrapped up filming months ago.

"This is Tris Prior; actor, stunt-woman, girlfriend. But keep the last bit on the DL for now." I explain, pulling Tris close to me by putting my arm around her shoulder. She smiles shyly again and wraps her arm around my waist. "Tris, meet Alexander Skarsgard and Michael Pena."

They smile mischievously and greet her, Alex giving me a particularly meaningful smirk, before continuing to chat with her for a few minutes. That is, until we're interrupted by Nora, who explains it's officially show time.

We're told to line up, and watch onscreen as Graham starts up the show by engaging with the crowd. After a few current-event jokes, he proceeds to announce the musical guest of today's show, Sting. After which, he announces the three of us guys from our soon to be released film, _'War on Everyone'_.

We're individually introduced by Graham, but are called out one right after the other. I'm called last, so when I hear him list some of the movies I've starred in and then say my name, I give Tris a quick wink from where she stands off to the side, and slip around the corner and up the few steps onto the stage. I try to put on what Nora would call a _dazzling_ smile as I raise my hand in a wave to the studio audience, before taking my spot on the ever-recognizable bright red couch.

The crowd continues to cheer and welcomes us as we all get situated and direct our attention to the Host.

"Welcoming crowd." I mumble, smiling at the audience that won't seem to quiet down despite Graham giving them silly looks. Although I'm not surprised, a lot of girls are still swooning about Tarzan over there. Alex got pretty ripped for that role.

"This is what happens when you have a couch full of men like this...I'm surprised panties aren't being thrown up on stage by now." Graham jokes.

That segues into some light conversation as to what we've been up to lately. Alex talks about Tarzan and they tease and rile up the audience when they discuss his abs and show off some pictures on screen. Then they discuss his workout regime, then about his next upcoming project. They talk about his home life briefly, before somehow laughing and commenting on his comedy roles in the _'Zoolander'_ movies.

Graham then commends Michael for ' _The Martian_ ', explaining how much he loved the film, which I couldn't agree more with. Then they take a few minutes to discuss how he'll be playing the character of Ponch in the new ' _CHiPs_ ' remake. Discussion of filming that of course got quite a few laughs and I agree I'm excited to see the movie.

They've planned to give us all about the same amount of screen-time, but from my perspective, their turns seem to have flown by. Before I know it, the silly banter sizzles down a little and the focus is directed back on me.

"So Tobias, you've been over here in Europe for a few months now, yes? Filming a new movie with George Wu?"

"Yes, we're doing a movie called _'FOUR'_. It's a really cool action/thriller...my character wakes up not remembering who or where he is. But recognizes he somehow has skills, like with badass secret-agent style fighting and par-core, which he obviously realizes he must've learned somewhere in his past, he just doesn't remember where or why."

Graham's eyebrows are raised as he listens intently, seemingly intrigued by the movie plot. "And of course, meanwhile, the CIA are after him, so he's on the run...and well, yeah..." I chuckle, attempting to wrap up the summary of the movie "Anyway, the script was awesome, and it's been a lot of fun making it come to life. George is always full of new ideas."

"Quite the cast you've got in that film too, huh? Nita Paolos, Max Young, Zeke Pedrad..." He says and I just smile and nod, not really adding much to it. But as expected, he reels me in further. "And somewhat of a newcomer as the lead female...what's her name? Tris Prior?"

"Yes, she's been in some things already. But she's mostly done stunt-work these last few years. She's great, she fit right into this role."

He hums in reply, a knowing smile on his face, before he lays it on a little thicker this time. "Quite the gossip you've been stirring up with the ladies, huh? These ladies in particular, have you seen some of these headlines lately?" He teases, referring to some of the crazier article headlines he's got printed to hold up for a moment.

I chuckle and shake my head, "People should know not to believe everything the read..."

"True, true. Still, I bet rehearsing with these beautiful women was a bit more fun than working with the fellas?" He asks, playfully wiggling his eyebrows as he reveals two still-shot photos from the movie.

I knew they had released a few pictures from the movie so far, but these two particular ones I have _not_ seen yet.

One of them is a picture of Nikki and Four, leaning close together as they dance in a tuxedo and ball gown on one of their 'missions' in his flashback. The other, is an intense up lose picture of Harper and Four, looking like they're about to kiss in the dim lighting of a warehouse. Neither picture reveals too much about the movie, but definitely implies some things between these two couples.

"As if you couldn't already get any woman you wanted, Mr. Tall-dark-and-steamy." Graham jokes, "Now you get to lock lips with both of these two fine young ladies. Between you, and Alexander with Margot Robbie in Tarzan...geez, I think I'm on the wrong side of the business!" He jokes; looking at the audience, but then turns his attention to me again, putting me on the spot. "So I take it you had a good time?"

I shake my head and laugh again, "There are a few kissing scenes..." I admit, nodding my head, trying not to smile too cockily as I think about acting those sexy scenes with Tris. "But seriously, they're great girls. Nita did a good job playing Nikki, definitely fulfilled the character as it was created, and even gave it an extra spice we weren't expecting. And Tris, well, like I said, she's just always awesome. She's very compelling to watch on screen."

Graham's eyebrows raise again as he tilts his head curiously, his signature smirk on his face. _Am I that obvious when I talk about her?_

"Sounds like you've gotten close?"

I try and give a nonchalant shrug, "We do spend a lot of time together...we've been working together for months, and several of us are living under the same roof while we film. So it's been fun getting to know everyone better."

"I bet that's been interesting!"

"Interesting is a very good word." I say, chuckling.

"I hope everyone's got their own bathroom? Talk about a reality show in the making!" Graham chortles, making us, and the crowd laugh, but he swiftly continues like the ever-effective host he is, "You sound like you've made really good _friends_ with everyone. Does that mean the rumors aren't true of you, say...dating Nita Paolos? As we saw, it seems that you're quite popular with the newsstands these days." Graham expresses, again more teasingly than pushy.

Thankfully we discussed pretty much how this conversation would go, although we didn't mention much of the actual wording, so far so good though.

"I know, what's up with all the sudden headlines? I don't knew why people find me so interesting..." I reply with a small laugh, "But I guess to answer your question, No. I am not dating Nita." I confirm, slightly amused, but making sure I set the record straight. I don't want anyone not taking me seriously. I mean I know it's probably impossible to convince everyone of the truth, but I need to make a point finally.

"But yeah, I'm glad it's a fun cast to be around, we've definitely become a good group of friends. I guess being forced-roommates will help do that." I add.

"Glad to hear everyone gets along so well. And I'm excited to meet this Tris Prior girl; she'll actually be here on the show next month. You spoke pretty highly of her, so she must be something pretty special," he begins, eyes assessing me again and I suddenly feel everyone's eyes on me, more so than ever.

But I don't care, and I don't care to hold back my smile as I speak about the girl I'm in love with. Why should I deny my face the happiness she brings it?

"Well, yeah, she's...wonderful," I smile, "Very talented and hard-working." I say and he nods along with interest, "And she's just a sweet, down to earth girl. It's been a pleasure working with her."

He listens attentively, seemingly holding back a teasing smirk. "She's quite pretty too." He chimes in, just as they show a picture of her in a pale yellow dress. I don't think I've seen this picture before; it looks to be from a couple of years ago.

I nod along without missing a beat, not being able to help but agree with him, no matter my audience. "That's an understatement. She's beautiful."

"And she's involved in charity and humanitarian work...she's quite the gal. Wouldn't you say?" He encourages further, and now I'm getting the impression he's taking this a little more than I expected. I chuckle a little but nod, confirming those things.

I glance at my fellow guest stars to see their teasing smirks and held back smiles, before I look back to Graham and just decide to again agree with him, "Yes, she's quite the girl."

He looks like he's about to say something, but stops himself. Then shakes his head slightly and shares a look with the audience briefly, making them laugh, before looking back to me. "As if I couldn't tell by the grin on your face." He interrupts playfully. "I suppose that means you find her to be good _dating material_?" He asks, and then looks to the audience again as if to encourage them, which just makes their hoots and hollers of excitement even louder.

I chuckle and nod along, again not being able to deny that.

But it feels good to nod along and agree with such open words in the public, it's so freeing. Even if it's just referring to her being 'dating material' and not an official relationship status update, I'm glad to publicly show attraction for her. But then I decide to take it up a notch by tilting my head and saying, "That depends."

Not the answer he seems to be expecting. His eyebrows rise in surprise, as he waits for me to explain further.

"Dating material for _me_? Because I'd like to think that's what you were implying..." I add, hoping I'm not taking this too far. Obviously I don't want to share her with anyone. And well, why not let it be known?

He nods in reply, his smile widening.

"In that case, of course. How could I not agree with that?" I say.

His face somehow breaks out in a wider grin and he chuckles, before looking to the audience and main camera, "You hear that everyone? Tobias has got good taste!"

This causes an even bigger uproar of cheers and applauds. I may have heard one or two people booing off to the left, but I'm glad to hear the majority definitely sounded positive. I really hope Tris heard all that support, encouraging a potential relationship between us. It'll be that much easier as things continue to be revealed about us in the spotlight, to have most people on our side.

He looks back to me, that wide encouraging smile lighting up his face, "Sounds like you've got your fans support too, mate. You should make a move if you haven't already. Or be careful, she might be snatched up by the competition," He chuckles and winks at me before taking the show to commercial break.

After some touch-ups and quick laughs between the host, and us the show is back, and we finally answer some questions about the film. It's fun that it's become more of a group interview now, being able to bounce conversation off each other. Such a unique talk-show style compared to what we're used to in the States.

We get a little side-tracked with conversation, them even talking me into doing a Christopher Walken impression at one point. But eventually we get back on track about the film we're promoting, and they show a clip.

The audience and Graham applaud, before he compliments the clip, and then asks me what it was like for me as an actor to play such a different role as a disheartened bad guy, very unlike many of my previous roles.

"It was a fun change, especially since I'm not used to doing dark-comedies, or playing bad-guys for that matter...but it was also an interesting challenge. It's nice as an actor, to be able to mix it up and get out of the comfort zone a little bit sometimes, so it was cool." I began, and shared a little more about playing my seemingly soulless character, before I aim the conversation toward the guys beside me.

Michael and Alex are rightfully commended for leading as the two rebellious cops, of which somewhat resembles the banter these two carry in real life.

Eventually, our time is up and they move on to bring out Sting for a quick interview before he performs. All ends up going smoothly and when we come back stage, I'm anxious to know how Tris and Nora think it went.

The guys get distracted talking to people, so I walk over to Tris and Nora, who are still standing where they were watching us film from the side-lines.

Nora gives me an approving nod and an encouraging squeeze on my shoulder as she walks by, "Great job, Eaton. We'll talk in a bit." She says, before stepping away to talk to one of the producers, and seemingly to give Tris and I a moment alone.

I turn back to my girlfriend, hoping she's as optimistic as Nora.

She's chewing on her lip, but I can tell she's smiling too, which puts me at ease.

"Well, that was...interesting." She says,

"Interesting in a good way, I hope?"

She smiles wider and nods, obviously a bit amused.

"I think you over-sold me a little," she chuckles with a slight shake of her head as she crosses her arms as if she's cold. I see goose bumps pebble across her bare forearms from where he sleeves have ridden up from the movement, and I have to resist the urge to pull her against me to keep her warm and close. "But overall, you did great. Charming, as always. People are going to be quite excited to see you as Lord James Mangan."

I shrug, and decide to at least pull her into my side with one arm to help keep her warm, and of course because I crave her contact, but I try to keep it looking fairly casual as lead us back to the refreshments table.

"Shut up, I didn't over-sell you." I chuckle, but not really finding much humor in it. I hate that she feels that way sometimes, that she doesn't see how incredible she is, even if she says it playfully. "I'm glad to have finally made it clear that Nita and I aren't a thing, and well...to hint heavily towards how I feel about you. At least lead people on the right track, ya know? But obviously that little speech back there doesn't really show how strongly I feel about you. I'm sure that might be becoming obvious though. As good of an actor some say I might be, it's hard to mask my feelings for you no matter if I try or not." I remind her, kissing the crown of her head.

I hear her let out a breathy giggle before she pauses and looks up at me. "You're really okay with this, aren't you? You're like, really confident about all of this...about me..." She says, gesturing around us, to the fact that I'm in public and just announced on international television how much I adore her.

At first, I can only smile in return, too happy that she's finally starting to really understand. I AM confident about all this, about her...about us. For the first time, I'm in a relationship that I'm extremely optimistic about and really truly don't want to screw up. I think being honest from the get-go will be helpful.

She's still watching me, a little nervously as people start to come over and crowd our area. Before people bombard me, I lean into her ear and adding, "You bet I am. I'm in love with you, and I like it."

* * *

"Dude." Is all Zeke says to me when he sees me next.

I just chuckle, "Yeah?"

" _Dude_." He repeats, nodding his head with his broad white smile beaming. He acts as if I should know what he's talking about, and I guess maybe I do. I presume he's referring to the interview.

"You're acting like I just got laid for the first time or something." I say as I take a seat in one the swivel chairs, amused by my friend's behavior. We're in the trailer getting ready for our next scene, but Tris and I got back into France so late last night, Zeke was already in bed by the time we got to the apartment. So I had a feeling he'd bring it up today when I saw him.

"Do you realize what a big deal this is?" Zeke asks, taking the identical swivel chair beside me, where Christina will start her magic on him once she's done chatting with George and Lauren about something for the scene. Meanwhile, I'm quickly wolfing down a Cliff bar. "That show was great...you like, put it all out there. Once people start seeing you together now, there's really no denying it, they're going to assume. Unless you can pull off the friend thing a bit longer...but either way, you're going to have paps following you."

"Yeah, well..." I say with a shrug, having no regrets. "They were following us anyway, I don't think it'll really increase. I didn't announce anything. At least this way the record is set straight."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for you. I don't think you would've done it if you weren't really serious about her. I mean you've never done anything like this... Not to mention I've never seen you like this with anyone. I've never seen someone make you so happy, so I think that's a good sign. If others don't see that, screw 'em."

I smile at my friend, glad this turned into a little _he's proud of me_ speech instead of giving me a hard time. I can take a little teasing, but when it comes to this, he knows I'm just not up for it. I take this seriously because it involves the well being of Tris.

"I _am_ happiest with her," I confirm, "And you're right, I'd say that's a good sign too. But, a good sign of what though, exactly? What are you implying?" I tease, knowing he knows I've already told her I love her. So what does he mean? I guess he just means it's a good sign that I made the right decision.

"Well, a good sign that you did the right thing on TV. It wasn't spur of the moment. And well, it's a good sign that she's maybe...the _one_ for you? Like, could you see yourself marrying her one day?" He asks, as if he's excited for the answer and wants it to happen right now.

"I think you already know the answer to that." I tell him, not caring to hold back my smile as I look over at the trailer door to see if it's still closed. Then I glance back at him, deciding to indulge him a little further. But honestly, I'm also just kind of dying to tell someone, or get their opinion maybe? I don't know.

"Tris and I have gone to this crepe place a few times, right? When we walk there, we walk by this jewelry shop. She always slows down past the window. She says she's just looking at these little dainty silver earrings, but I know she's also looking at the engagement ring nestled a few inches behind it. It's simple, but gorgeous, looks kind of vintage or antique, whatever they call it. Nothing too huge or flashy, but still sparkly and pretty, you know?" Damn, I'm terrible at explaining this. "Anyway, I can't stop thinking about it...maybe I should just get it and hang onto it."

"You really think she likes it? Is it super expensive?"

"I _know_ she'd love it. I've caught her checking it out multiple times, she even jumped as if being startled the first two times, before jumbling over her words that she was staring at those pretty little earrings in front."

"And the price...?" He asks, knowing I avoided that question. Why is that any of his business?

"I actually don't know, the tags not visible and we've never asked to see it. It can't be that much, right? I mean, if it's really authentic and vintage, it's pre-owned, right? Doesn't that fetch a discount?" I joke. But I really am curious now. I was willing to just about spend anything on it, but I'm sure she'd be annoyed if I spent more than she thought would be reasonable, even if she did admire it almost longingly. And I wouldn't want my potential fiancée getting mad at me.

"If I can't afford it, I won't get it. But dude, I'm willing to spend a lot. I may not be giving it to her quite yet... I don't want her to think I'm rushing things. But I'm confident that's where this is heading, and we've already kind of hinted at it. So why not be prepared with the one I know she wants? It's really beautiful."

"Good point. I'm just a little surprised, I thought you might freak out from me even bringing it up, yet you're already talking rings."

"Like I said, I'm just preparing. After all, how often will I be jewelry shopping in Paris?"

"Also a good point. And now that I think about it, I'm really not that surprised. I just remembered this is _Tris_ were talking about. Of course you'd want to marry her. She's like, perfect for you."

"When the time comes...be my best man?" I ask.

"Sure," he agrees with a genuine smile, "assuming she says yes that is."

"Dumbass." I punch him in the arm. Not too hard, just a little.

"Hey!" He says with a laugh, just as Lauren and Christina join us.

"Everyone okay in here guys?" Christina asks with a chuckle, eyeing Zeke who is shying away from me obviously, as if I had hurt him.

"Yes, we're excellent actually." I reply on our behalf.

But then Zeke looks at me questioningly, the excited look back on his face, "Wait, so did you get to hang out with Sting?"

* * *

When I get back from filming, I wonder what Tris and Susan's plans are for this evening. Maybe they'll let me take them out to dinner...we could bring Zeke too. I'll talk to Tris first though and see what she thinks; maybe they've already got plans in mind. She was only needed on-set for a half-day today, so she went and picked up Susan from the airport right after. And according to her text a couple hours ago, they have been out doing a little shopping and exploring these last few hours.

I let myself into the apartment and call out saying hello, but it seems nobody's home. I grab some water and head back to my room. Not that it's expected, Nita was still filming re-takes and I know Zeke is out.

After I take a quick shower, I decide to check in with Tris. But I can't find my phone.

Thankfully I hear it actually start to ring, but upon following the sound of it, I realize I left it out in the living room by my gym bag. I had dropped them there, getting distracted with getting water. I hate feeling dehydrated and often am after a long day of work.

So I quickly secure the towel around my waist and make my way out there to grab my phone, hoping to catch it before the person hangs up, especially if it's Tris.

I try to be careful not to leave wet footprints throughout the house on the nice floor as I make my way down the hall and over towards my still-ringing phone, but I'm sure I'm probably leaving a huge trail.

Just as I bend down to grab the phone, I feel a presence behind me. Before my brain can even really register that someone is here in the room with me, I hear them speak.

"Oh. My. God!" They say, punctuating each syllable. By the words and the way she says it, I half-expect Janis from _FRIENDS_ to be standing behind me, but I hear a hint of an accent, and when I turn around, it's a woman I don't recognize.

This girl is smiling like the Cheshire Cat, as if she knows something I don't, and just remains standing there in the kitchen entry, looking me up and down like I'm a piece of meat. She's probably in her early 30's, has short brown hair, and upon looking at some of her facial features for a second, I realize this could be Nita's sister. It's the only logical explanation. Especially with how's she's barefoot and seems to be hanging around casually in this apartment.

I instantly reach down to where my towel is tucked in to ensure it's secure and ask, "Who are you?"

I tried not to let it come out too accusatory, but I can't help but be a bit. It's weird to have a stranger pop up like that!

She just keeps her smile, not caring if her eyes lack subtlety as they rake over my chest, which I now remember is bare and still slightly wet. "Bianca Paulos." She says, then bows dramatically and stands up straight again, cocking her hip against the doorframe.

"Ah, should have known." I say, giving her a curt nod, and only offering a tight smile in greeting. "I thought you weren't showing up until tomorrow?"

"I got an extra day off work, so came early." She says with a shrug. "Nita called the front desk, they let me in since she wasn't back yet." She chews and pops her bubblegum, still looking me over like she's assessing me. But she doesn't attempt to say anything further or do anything but stand there.

"Alright, well...nice to meet you. I'm going to go get dressed now, I was just grabbing my phone." I say before the moment gets more awkward.

"Expecting an important call?"

"It was Tris, so yes." I say, looking down at my phone that has Tris' name next to where it confirms I have a missed call from her.

"I've heard about her...your girlfriend, right? Or are we not officially using that term yet?" Bianca replies, causing me to pause and turn and look at her for a moment.

"I'm sure you've heard of her, considering who your sister is. But lucky for you, you'll be meeting her yourself soon too. As for the term, I'm not sure _girlfriend_ is strong enough a title, but it'll work for now." I turn back away and continue to walk away from her, towards the hallway and my room. But just as I pass the front door, I realize it's open. And there stands Tris and Susan with shopping bags in their hands, both biting their lip to hold back smiles, probably having had witnessed most of that interaction by the looks on their faces.

"Hi." Tris says first, an amused look on her face, as she looks me up and down, still wet and standing here in my towel with my phone in my hand. Bianca is probably still visible standing in the kitchen entryway behind me as well.

"Hi." I reply, not caring to cover my grin. Just like that, my mood has improved. I'm beyond relieved and excited to see my girl, and Susan for that matter. She's a cool friend of Tris', and I'm glad they have a special bond. That would have really sucked if her best female friend ended up being someone I didn't along with. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised Tris does well with who she befriends.

I take the two large steps it takes to reach Tris and pull her into a hug, a sigh of relief coming from me as I bury my face in her hair for a moment. "I missed you." I tell her, then pull away and peck her lips. I don't want to get all kissy in front of Susan and Bianca, but they both know about us, so I may as well greet my woman properly.

When I pull away, I'm glad to see that beautiful smile on her face. "Of course you did." She teases.

"And how are you Susan? Glad to see you're here." I say, smiling at her kindly as I give her a little side-hug. She returns it, her cheeks tinting pink slightly. She glances awkwardly towards Bianca and then around the beautifully ornate high ceilings of the Parisian living room.

"Me too." She says meekly.

Tris chuckles, watching her friend, before she turns back to Bianca and offer her a little wave from across the room. "Hi, I'm Tris. You must be Nita's sister?"

"The one and only," she says giving an almost flirtatious smile. "Bianca."

Tris nods in acknowledgement. "Welcome to Paris. This is my friend Susan, she's staying here this week too." At this, Susan offers a timid wave, which Bianca nods in acknowledgement.

"Well, I'm sure we'll have more time to catch up, but we've got to put this stuff away and get changed. But, um, I guess, let us know if you need anything?" Tris offers as she heaves her bags higher on her arm. I then realize what an ass I'm being, as they're standing here holding all this while my hands are mostly free.

"Here," I say, dropping my cell phone into Tris' purse that's slung across her chest, then I grab a big handful of her stuff for her, still mindful to leave a free hand to hold up my towel though. I'm not one for flashing guests. "I really need to get dressed." I add with a chuckle as I walk towards our bedroom.

"C'mon, I'll show you to where you'll be staying." I hear Tris say to Susan and they follow me down the hall, but then she turns toward the room she was originally supposed to stay in before she pretty much just moved into mine with me.

Once I've got our bedroom door closed, I quickly go toward the big walk-in closet with the intention of grabbing something to wear. But then I realize I don't know our plans for the evening, so I don't know _what_ to wear. Should I dress nicer in a button-up? If we were just staying home, I'd rather be in a t-shirt...

Thankfully I'm not standing there pondering this question long before Tris joins me, coming up to give me a hug from behind. She kisses that spot between my shoulder blades she likes, before turning her face to the side so she can lean her cheek against me.

"Everything okay? You seemed kind of tense out there."

"Yeah, I'm good," I say, although I guess I did sound kind of flustered, "I guess I was surprised she's here early, and I ran out to grab my phone and she caught me in my towel...I don't know, it was just awkward, and I guess I was already kind of defensive since this is _Nita's_ sister we're talking about. I'm just not sure I like this whole shared-apartment thing. Well, aside from sharing with you, of course I prefer that."

She comes to face me and looks up at me with that adorably sweet yet amused smile of hers. "We won't be here much longer. Besides, she may not be so bad."

"I know, you're right. I just picture them like evil twins."

She snorts and gives me a playful slap in the arm, "You're mean. Get dressed, Susan will be in here any second. I told her to let herself in when she's done putting her things away."

"What should I wear? Are we going out? I could take you guys out to eat if you want? My treat. It's Susan's birthday after all. Or is it tomorrow technically?"

"It's tomorrow. That's really sweet of you to offer, I'm sure she'd love that. But she's pretty jet-lagged, and tired from our shopping, she mentioned wanting to stay-in tonight. If you're cool with that? And maybe we could go out tomorrow instead?"

"Sounds good, as long as there's food tonight too."

She laughs, "I'll cook. Unless we want to order take-out?"

"You know I like your cooking, and I'm sure Susan does too. And you know I'll help. Unless you want to spend time with your friend and trust me to attempt it by myself?" I ask encouragingly.

She laughs and rolls her eyes, "Shut up, you know you're a good cook. I've never tasted something bad you've made."

"I know a few things well, but I haven't expanded much from those meals." I chuckle. "But you should let me make you guys something, c'mon."

"I think we have the stuff for spaghetti? She suggests.

I sneak a quick kiss, "Ok, I can definitely do that. I can even make a salad with it."

Tris smiles appreciatively at me and just as I feel her soft hand on my waist where my skin meets the towel, a visitor interrupts us.

"Did I just hear that Tobias Eaton is going to cook me dinner?" We hear Susan ask from just beyond the closet door.

We chuckle and Tris speaks up, "You heard correctly! Spaghetti sound okay?"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **There you have Chapter 20, FINALLY! Please feel free to drop me a review, I'd love to know what you think!**

 **Chapter 21 is almost ready, and will be posted in an hour or so.**

 **I just want to take a moment to say THANK YOU; to my pals Ractre1127 & MillieMae1981 for your ongoing help, support and friendship. You're so amazing and helpful! And thank you to all my other readers and friends; you've been very patient these past couple of months while I've lacked in updates. ****I do have my usual excuse...work, work and more work (full-time hours at one job, part-time hours at the other)! But I also didn't have as much time or motivation to write since I've had a lot of other stuff going on too...not only did I have a relative pass away recently, but I've been having some minor health concerns about myself as well. Nothing too bad, so no need worry. But I'm getting some tests/check-ups done just in case...which are still in progress. So your prayers are appreciated!**

 **Anyway, I just wanted to keep you posted as to why it's taken me so much longer than usual, and why it may continue to take me some time between updates. I hope you understand.** **But I'd like to think it shouldn't take me _this_ long again, I really do enjoy writing and would like to continue doing it. Although keep in mind, I'm anticipating this story will be wrapping up around Chapter 28-30 (including the epilogue). Still not entirely sure yet though. **

**After this one's complete, I'll consider writing another story...I do have some more FourTris ideas. But we'll see.**

 **Thanks again for your feedback in your reviews, as well as those who "follow" and "favorite" me and my stories. You're so great!**

 **Reminder: stay tuned for Chapter 21 (also in Tobias' POV)!**

 **:-)**

 **-Madison Rose**


	21. Chapter 21

**ROLE OF A LIFETIME**

 **CHAPTER 21**

 ***Rated M/MA***

 **Disclaimer: This is just my fanfiction, with many real world/modern day references. I have no rights or affiliations with the TV Show 'Friends' or other references made throughout this chapter/story.**

 **Please only read if you're of an appropriate age. This is an M/MA (Mature) rated story for explicit language and sexual content!**

* * *

 **NOTE:**

 **In case you didn't notice, chapter 20 was posted earlier today, so I recommend reading that one first if you haven't yet!**

* * *

 **TOBIAS POV:**

Tris reaches down to un-zip her boots and puts her fuzzy slippers on instead. Meanwhile, I drop my towel to throw on some boxers, jeans and a t-shirt.

Moments later when Tris and I step out of the closet, we spot Susan sprawled out on our massive bed, which is covered in a plush white comforter and more pillows than any one person needs.

"You guys have the _best_ beds..." She says, her arms and legs spread out and doing the 'snow-angel' thing. It reminds me of when Tris did the same thing on that very bed when we first got here. Except when it was Tris, I had much dirtier thoughts run through my head at the sight of her all sprawled out before me.

Susan has her eyes closed in relaxation, but when the nearby chair creeks upon my sitting in it, she opens one to peek at us. "You dressed yet? I don't want to get in trouble for peeking at the _goods_."

Tris and I chuckle, "Yes, I'm decent now." I assure her as I reach down and pull my second sock on. For such a cozy and welcoming apartment, it still has things about it that make it colder than were used to, such as the high vaulted ceilings and marble floors, so we're always bundling up our feet to keep them from freezing. Which seems much more often as we enter the cooler months.

Tris plops down beside her friend, lying back to enjoy the comforting mattress as well. "Spaghetti okay? Unless you have any other requests?" She asks her friend.

"Of course that's okay, you already know I love it."

"You said we should already have everything we need?" I ask, unsure of what's currently in the kitchen since Tris does most of the grocery shopping. I go stand by the bed looking down at my sprawled out girlfriend, her face upside down from mine due to the way she's lying down. I bend down and kiss her sweetly, upside down, before she replies to Susan.

"Yeah, I even have a fresh block of Parmesan I picked up from Sal." Tris explains.

"Sal?" Susan asks her tone laced with amused curiosity. "Do you have a cheese man here in Paris? They really are fancy here.".

I nod, "Tris likes to make friends with the locals." I explain with a chuckle.

"Hey!" Tris chimes in with a laugh, "We've been here a while, so I've become somewhat familiar with the nearby shops." she explains with a shrug as she turns her head towards Susan, "Sal has this little cheese shop a few blocks away. He's always so welcoming, and his family, who help him run it, are really sweet. Plus, their cheese is _amazing_. I have to take you there."

I can't help the little snort that comes from me. I didn't mean for it to come out, but it did. And now I can't take it back. And of course Tris' head snaps back toward mine.

"You wouldn't agree?" She asks me.

I put up my hands in surrender, "You're right, they're _amazing_..."

She narrows her eyes at me. Much to my relief, she still looks amused. But she's obviously perturbed by my grunt, or maybe it was my exaggerated moan of approval when I mimicked her saying how ' _amazing_ ' they are.

Susan watches our exchange as I try to explain in the gentlest of ways, "Sal and his wife Carmen are very sweet, and so is his sister Gina. But his nephew Giovanni...well, he can be a little over the top with the flirting. I don't care for it."

"Well, you're a very handsome fella. What do you expect?" Susan teases me, before shooting Tris a wink. Her comment makes Tris and I laugh, obviously knowing I wasn't referring to Giovanni flirting with _me_.

"I'd probably handle it better if he were flirting with me instead of Tris." I shake my head, still chuckling as I reply, even though my statement is nothing but true. I can't help it; I don't like the way he looks at her.

"Aw...he's jealous." Susan says to Tris as if it's a cute sentiment to be cherished.

Tris doesn't disagree, but her smile and the bite of her lip shows she sees it now. She looks up at me and I can tell she's trying to read my face to see if it's true.

"Yeah, maybe I'm a bit of the jealous type, but whatever. I don't care for it when he's pulling you aside, feeding you cheeses, speaking all that fancy French and Italian when he knows you speak more of those languages than I do. And now half the time he's making you taste their wine too..." I explain, the words bubbling from my mouth. It feels good, but also makes me feel a little vulnerable expressing all of this right here and now. Even though Tris has been somewhat aware of my small hidden dislike for Giovanni, I don't think she's realized it bothers me quite so much, since I've been trying to bite my tongue and not overreact. But now that it's come up and I _am_ saying something, I'm hoping she also knows I'm serious and that I'm not just being silly in front of her friend.

Her expression softens, "It really bothers you, doesn't it?" She asks, her tone no longer teasing.

I clench my jaw as I look down at my shoes, nodding slightly before meeting her eyes again. I don't trust myself to open my mouth at the moment. I'm starting to think about the stupid little smirk Giovanni shot me when he had Tris borderline moaning at the flavor of his flaky pastry encrusted baked Brie, or whatever the fuck it was the last time we went in there. Made me want to pull a _FOUR_ _-style_ beat down on him right then and there.

But I'm more civil than that. Well, mostly. I didn't exactly hide it when I gave her a deep kiss as soon as we were outside the door of the shop when we were done. She had just smiled at me incredulously, surprised that I'd do that public. But I was careful to make sure nobody else was around, except the ones surely watching from inside. I can't say I minded it when I saw him peeking through the glass door pretending to look busy, and I couldn't help feeling like I was staking my claim a little bit as I walked hand in hand with her down the cobblestoned street.

"You can't actually think I'd go for a guy like that when I have you, right? Or any other guy, for that matter..." She says, interrupting my thoughts as she reaches her arms up to take my hands in hers, playing with my fingers as she adds, "I admit, he can be a _little_ flirty. But he's like that with _all_ the women that come in."

"Tris," I mumble quietly getting her to look into my eyes.

"What?"

"He's different with you. And he's ballsy to do it in front of me, or maybe he just really likes getting a rise out of me." I say, sighing a little. But then I offer her a little smile, "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I have a trustworthy girlfriend." I tell her, leaning down to peck her lips. "But I know how you feel when Nita does what she does with me…it's just in reverse with Giovanni…" I explain.

"Oh…I so didn't see it like that, I'm sorry…" She states, running her hand into my hair, as she stands from the bed.

"It's fine, you know I love you, I know how you feel about me so... let's make some pasta." I encourage, nodding my head towards the direction of the kitchen.

She gives me a look like she knows this is unfinished, but shrugs it off anyway, as does Susan before stretching her arms up above her head. She seems like she's a bit amused by the conversation between Tris and I, but doesn't say anything, at least not until we're about to step through the doorway and start towards the kitchen.

"That. Was. Adorable." She says, but I think it's more for me to hear than Tris by the knowing look she gives me. She's enjoying my frustration a little too much.

Is she really that surprised of my being a little jealous? Everyone does at some point, right?

I can't help it that the girl I fell in love with happens to be extremely attractive and often gets a little more attention than I'd like. Sure, I get annoyed just _thinking_ about the little prick, _Giovanni_. But I'm only human. They'd probably feel the same way if they were in my position. That's why I pointed out Nita and her actions.

As we make our way into the kitchen, I take a deep breath and will myself to stop thinking such negative thoughts; I don't want him putting me in a pissy mood, that's not like me.

I just have to remind myself; he's not here with Tris, I am. And _I'm_ the one lucky enough to draw even more pleasurable noises from that gorgeous mouth of hers. I smile at the thought of that.

The kitchen is quiet and unoccupied, all except for the sound of the refrigerator running. I'm glad it seems to just be the three of us, but I decide to make enough food for everyone if they come home and want some. Zeke always seems to have an appetite, especially when he comes home smelling home-cooked food. I swear he seems to smell it a mile away.

I decide we need some background music, so I go turn on the stereo. One I've got my phone connected and on shuffle, I set it at a quiet enough volume so that Tris and Susan can still talk.

They've taken over the barstools at the kitchen counter, so I kiss the crown of Tris' head as I walk by them and towards the cupboard with all the pots and pans. I listen in as they make plans for tomorrow, and catch-up on what's going on in LA.

Once I've got the spaghetti noodles boiling and the tomato basil sauce simmering, I rinse my hands before drying them on the kitchen towel, which I lay over my shoulder as I get started on the Cesar salad. I'm grating a block of Parmesan cheese when I hear the front door open and Zeke shuffle in loudly, his workout sneakers making their unmistakable squeaky noise as he makes his way down the hall.

"Honey, I'm home." He teases when he sees me cooking in the kitchen. He comes up and plants a loud playful kiss on my cheek, which I pull away from and try to avoid, but I can't help but laugh, which he follows up with a wink at Susan and Tris.

"And hello pretty ladies, how are you this fine evening? I'll have to give you hugs in a few minutes when I'm not all sweaty." He greets with a wide smile before peering around me to see what I'm making. I lean away slightly to avoid his sweatiness and to avoid any more potential kisses, but I do at least let him get a glance at what I'm doing.

"Mmm...that smells good." He says, his stomach loudly agreeing on cue.

"Yeah, yeah. Now scoot from the kitchen please, you're crowding me." I say once he's eyeballed long enough.

"Fine. But that looks like more than three portions..." He says with his fingers pointing to the three of us, his face lighting up as he sees me start to nod in agreement with him.

"Trust me, I'm making plenty."

"Plenty of what?" Nita asks, suddenly standing in the kitchen doorway as well. I didn't even hear her come in.

"Spaghetti." I reply, "I decided to make dinner for Tris and Susan, but I was just telling Zeke there will probably be extra. Same goes if you and your sister want some too. I think she's in your bedroom." I explain, doing my best to remain cordial. Besides, the likeliness of her actually having some of this food is low since she's so petrified of carbs. But I really did make plenty if they end up wanting some. I guess I get that from Tris, she often cooks a feast so that everyone is fed.

Nita nods appreciatively to my offer, like she's touched by the sentiment and is truly enticed by the meal, although she still looks hesitant. "Thank you, I am pretty hungry...I've had a really long day. I'm going to freshen up first though, and say hi to my sis."

She smiles and heads toward her bedroom, squealing "Sissy!" along the way, which we then hear being echoed a moment later once Bianca hears her.

I roll my eyes, not stopping from my task at hand. But I'm glad she's been a bit more manageable lately. Maybe manageable isn't the right word...more tolerable? Professional? Either way, I think it helped that I cleared some things up publicly during that interview, and during the post-interview meeting I had with Nora, along with Nita and her publicist. I'm all about being amicable, and if anything, at least appearing to get along with each other to the public. I'm an easygoing guy, or at least I'd like to think so. But it was obvious we needed to have firmer boundaries and get some things straight when it comes to all this gossip and her encouraging it. I know it's not completely unavoidable, but I needed her and her people to be on the same track. Maybe we just scared her into backing off.

I wonder though, if whatever little conversation Tris had with Nita, may have helped too. She seems genuinely more respectful towards Tris since then, at least for Nita's standards. At least she seems to be trying.

Tris shares a smile and knowing look with me, letting me know she's glad I'm playing nice.

"You making garlic bread too? Cause if you're not, you should." Zeke suggests, holding up the loaf of French bread I set down off to the side. He begins tossing it from one hand to the other while he waits for my answer.

"Already on it," I reply, holding up the garlic without even looking at him. "I hadn't started it yet since I'm waiting for the oven to pre-heat." When I notice him playing with the bread though, I snatch it from him and place it on the counter. "Stop playing with the food." I laugh.

"Hey, it's still wrapped in paper."

I look at him over my shoulder, "Do you want garlic bread or not?"

"Yeah I do..." He says with a grin, sounding and acting more like Joey Tribiani than ever. He then pats me roughly on the back in his brotherly way, before tossing his gym bag back over his shoulder. "I'm gonna go shower, but I'll be quick."

I smile and roll my eyes again, glancing up to find a still amused Tris and Susan.

"This would make for an interesting reality show..." Susan says, resting her chin on her hand as she watches everything around her with rapt attention.

Tris laughs before playfully scolding her friend, "No, don't _you_ suggest that too!"

I pour them each a glass of red wine and they continue to chat, involving me in conversation every so often, although I'm mostly concentrating on dinner. I forget how nice it is to cook sometimes, being out and about so often, I tend to take it for granted.

They talk all about our time here so far, and what we've liked best about filming here so far. Then they talk about all the things they want to cram in this week before Susan leaves.

By the time dinner is ready, Zeke has joined us again, now smelling squeaky clean as he told us. We serve everything buffet style and take our plates to the patio where the table and chairs are.

They seem to enjoy the food as they dig in, so I'm glad I didn't screw anything up too bad. I may not be a terrible cook, but I have definitely burnt a thing or two before.

"This is _so_ good." Tris compliments, twirling her second bite around her fork.

"Yeah, your man can cook." Susan agrees.

"It's like, two ingredients." Zeke jokes before taking a gigantic bite.

"Shut the fuck up, I don't see you complaining about it," I chuckle, watching him practically inhale his food, "and it's a few more ingredients than that. This is the homemade tomato sauce Tris taught me how to make, it has like... at least 6 ingredients." I say, confirming in my head what the simple but delicious recipe calls for. I don't know why I always get stuck in this silly banter with him.

"No wonder it tastes so damn good, it was really created by her!" Zeke chides, playfulness dancing in his eyes before he winks at my girlfriend.

"I'm more than happy to give her the credit, I'd be using jarred sauce if it weren't for her." I add, grinning at Tris. She tries to hide her smile as she rolls her eyes, and the look she gives me after is so precious. It does nothing but encourage my desire to kiss her, so I do. I lean over and give her a quick peck before getting back to my own pasta.

Nita and Bianca join us shortly after, and thankfully conversation continues to flow smoothly, but so does the vino. We end up talking about various things, such as the pub around the corner that we've yet to try, or when it came to us playfully arguing about which Doctor (of Doctor Who) is the best, before eventually getting into a game of 'Cards Against Humanity'.

Which thankfully with the slight buzz from the alcohol, is even more entertaining than I expected. We all end up laughing so hard that I wonder if we'll get noise complaints from the tenants below. Is it bad that I enjoyed watching Tris get teary eyed? I definitely don't like to see her cry, but when it's out of hysterical laughter, it's freakin' cute.

Even Nita seems to be involved and having a good time. I don't know if I'm surprised or not, but having Bianca around her seems to have brought her silly side out a bit more, which is nice. It's like they're actually just hanging out with us as friends, versus feeling obligatory and having that underlying awkwardness.

Not to say Bianca isn't any less outgoing, or loud, or open with everything she's thinking verbally. But her candor reminds me more of Christina than Nita. She seems to have more of the 'no bull-shit' attitude, rather than her sisters usual seemingly fake one.

So I'm glad hanging out with the two of them like this isn't as unpleasant as expected. I'd say Tris, Susan and Zeke would agree by their jovial smiles as well. Although he might just appreciate her more because of the belching contest Bianca had with him, to which Nita seemed slightly mortified. But it seemed that she loosened up when she saw it didn't faze us. She actually ended up giggling along, even if it was with an eye roll at their expense.

Later, we decide to pop in a movie and once again, everyone joins in a heap in the living room.

Zeke takes one of the deep cushiony chairs, Nita and Bianca take one couch, and Tris curls up between Susan and I on the other identical couch. With an exception to the Paolos sisters, this arrangement reminds me of watching movies at Tris' house that first time, which I like. It's nice to take it easy and do normal things, considering we've been working so many long days.

As the previews before the movie play and Zeke attempts (and fails) to figure out how to fast-forward them, I bury my nose in Tris' hair and kiss her there, loving her scent. She smiles and looks up to me, kissing my t-shirt clad shoulder before leaning her head on it. I entwine our hands, just to feel that much closer to her.

"This is supposed to be funny, we'll see what these judges say." Zeke comments as we see Seth Rogen appear on the screen.

"Yes! Franco is in this too! Can you just imagine how awesome it would be to nibble on his butt cheek...?" Bianca says out loud to everyone randomly as she gets situated. "Have any of you met him before?" She then asks, as if remembering we're all actors in the room with her. "I bet he's just as hot in person, but he's probably such a goofball-" She adds, not really expecting or caring to hear an answer to her questions before she turns her attention back to the screen, her feet propped up on the table now.

Thankfully their chattering dies down throughout the movie so that we can actually hear it. It turns out to actually be quite a funny movie, and the girls seemed to enjoy it too as they giggled throughout. Although I think that was encouraged by the several bottles of wine the group of us seemed to have consumed. So I'm not surprised to find my girlfriend become a bit tipsy, which she doesn't do often.

Halfway into the second movie, Zeke's phone shakes me awake. I don't think I was quite sleeping, but I was almost about to doze off. I look and see Susan and Bianca are both fast asleep, and Tris' eyes are droopy, but she's fighting to stay awake and see the screen. I can't tell if Nita is awake as her face is angled away from mine. But I'm feeling tired too, and know they'd probably like to get to bed since they have a big day ahead of them tomorrow. Thankfully I don't think they'll have hangovers, as they didn't have _that_ much. Just a good buzz, so it seemed.

When Zeke answers his phone in a whisper, I decide to whisper in Tris' ear. "You ready for bed?"

She nods, her tired eyes looking up at me. "Yeah, I'm tired." She confirms in a whisper, then leans forward and stretches her back.

"Shall we wake her or let her sleep here?" I ask, nodding towards her friend.

She shakes her head, "Nah, she won't be comfortable out here on the couch. I'll shake her awake and get her to bed, she'll fall back asleep just fine." She says before yawning.

Then just as explained, she leans over and gently shakes her friend awake. Susan stretches similarly to Tris before getting up and murmuring her goodnight to everyone, then seems to make her way to the room she's staying in, which was Tris' originally assigned room. Nita does the same with Bianca and the rest of us retire to bed as well. I can tell Zeke is happy to go speak to his wife anyway, so I don't feel like we're ditching him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to cut the night short. You guys can keep watching." He tries saying, holding his hand to cover the mouthpiece temporarily.

"No worries man, we're ready for bed anyway, they were all falling asleep." I say and tell him goodnight before shooing him off to speak with his woman before making sure everything is locked up and most of the lights are off. I feel like the father of the house, making sure everyone is off to bed before securing the home and heading to bed myself. _I must be feeling the wine a little too_ , I think to myself as I grab my phone off the coffee table. I also grab Tris' for her since she left it on the couch.

When I get to our bedroom, I lock the bedroom door behind me, figuring Susan will knock if she needs us for anything. But when I see Tris preparing for bed, she doesn't seem quite as tired as she was just a few minutes ago. As I undress down to my boxers, I notice she's leaning in the bathroom doorway, brushing her teeth. But I also very obviously notice she's only wearing a large t-shirt, _one of mine, might I add_ , which hangs off one of her shoulders. I love it.

Her beautifully stiff nipples stand at attention, perking up through the soft white cotton just visible in between the tendrils of her hair that hang down her chest in waves. My cock begins to stir immediately and her eyes flick to my lower region. She points at my boxers and the shakes her finger, as if telling me "NO".

I'm confused at first, but then she pulls the toothbrush from her mouth as she pulls her hair back and to the side with her free hand, before turning back into that bathroom to spit into the sink and rinse her mouth out. After she's satisfied, she looks at me in the reflection of the mirror, smirking as she catches me checking out the bottom swell of her ass that peeks out.

"Boxers off." She says, now making me realize why she was shaking her finger at them.

I happily do as I think she says, and remove my boxer-briefs. They were constricting me anyway.

As I make my way through the doorway, her palms flatten on my chest and she pushes me back toward the bedroom.

Her gaze darts up to meet mine from where she was taking in the sight of my manhood, and she's got that beautiful heat in her eyes that I know all too well. I'm glad to see she's got the same thing in mind...not quite ready for sleep tonight. Thank goodness these walls are thick and were in our own little wing of the apartment!

When the back of my knees hit the bed, she pushes me onto it with a small giggle. I vaguely register how cold the material is against my bare back, but I could care less right now. I love the way she looks me up and down in appreciation, her opinion having become the only one that matters to me. Sure, some may call me a celebrity, or imply that I'm good-looking. But everyone has their flaws and their insecurities. So if she didn't find me attractive or find me to be a good partner, I don't know what I'd do.

But thankfully she gives me no doubts, with the way she unabashedly licks her lips and locks eyes with me again as she saunters forward to close the distance between us, her mouth lifting on one side to show me one of the sexiest smiles she's ever given me.

As I go to sit up to meet her halfway, eager to kiss her, she holds her index finger up to stop me, still holding that sexy little smirk. She presses her finger to my lips and I manage to kiss her digit briefly before she trails it down my chin, down the length of my throat and onto my chest, which is now heaving- before she continues to drag it down lower and through the golden brown trail of hair that leads down to my groin. Her movements are so soft and slow; the anticipation is driving me wild.

When she gets low enough, she swirls her fingertips around my groin area, never quite touching my penis as it stands hard and upright... _so close_ to her mouth and fingers, as she watches every movement and twitch I make with rapt attention. _She likes teasing me._

Her fingers slide down until they're cupping and tickling my sack, the feeling so pleasurable that I can't help release a heavy sigh, a noise that sounds of complete and utter relief. My eyes threaten to close in pleasure, but I manage to keep them open so that I can watch what she does next.

"I love you," She whispers when she locks eyes with me, her smile soft as she leans forward to lick my tip gently, not breaking eye contact.

"I love you too." I reply earnestly, reaching down to place my hand on her cheek.

She kisses my palm before saying, "I'm so glad I get to do this." Then she again swipes her tongue up the under side of my shaft. I love hearing her say all of these words, and the feel of her deft little tongue have me so hard that I'm finding it difficult not to lose control all over her face. I can't decide if I should let her continue doing what she's doing, since it feels so damn good, or if I want her to come climb on top of me so I can bury myself into her like my cock is also begging to do.

I get lost in the sensations as she begins bobbing her head up and down, her sweet mouth engulfing me so sublimely.

Sitting up more, I finally warn her, "Baby, I'm getting close."

She looks up at me, her eyes smiling more than her mouth since its still immersed with my manhood.

Even in the darkness, I can make out every detail of her face, not to mention the oversized sleep shirt that bared her legs from upper thigh to feet. Is it too much to hope that she was wearing nothing underneath? I can't quite tell with the way she's propped on her knees.

She sucks up and down a couple more times before she pulls away and looks at me questioningly, her dominant attitude softening for a moment as she asks me, "Are you tired? You can cum in my mouth if you want...or do you want me to fuck you?" She breaths obviously turned on as well and seemingly hoping for the latter.

I reassure her by pressing my forehead to hers and looking her in the eyes, breathing the same space as her as I urgently whisper my response, "Fuck me, please. I've got to be inside you."

Her sharp intake of breathe echos throughout the room and she gulps before standing fully, and smiling excitedly. She doesn't look away as she reaches down and starts to slowly inch the shirt up her thighs.

She tosses it aside, and thanks to the absence of panties, I have a straight on view of her pussy that's glistening with wetness, so fucking beautiful.

Mouth suddenly dry, I continue to watch with rapt fascination as she slides a finger through her folds, dragging out her arousal and spreading it further up and around her clit.

Stepping forward and climbing onto the bed with me, she straddles my lap. But she continues to touch herself, leaving herself a few inches away from my cock, which stands at attention ready and waiting. My hands slide up her sides and back down, loving the feel of her hips and ass in my hands. But I reach between us, taking myself in hand and rubbing myself along her, teasing her back. _Well, it's really teasing both of us._

She moans in reply and bucks her hips slightly, but she manages to avoid me from sliding in, that teasing smile still on her face, although its faltering the more I tease her back with the swirling of my eager cock-head along her opening.

"Fuck, you're so sexy-" But before my next breath, she's on me.

Tris wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled my face to hers, I barely manage to suck in a quick breath before our lips meet, hard and wet. Her fingers slide into my hair, tilting my face for better access. By now, her position more easily allows me to prod at her core, her mouth moving onto my neck, licking and nipping a trail towards my shoulder.

She sits up more then, sinking down onto me so deliciously that I have to control myself from coming immediately. I don't want things to progress quite so fast. Every suck, every scrape of her teeth against my skin had been pushing me closer and closer to the edge. If I'm going to last, we need to slow it down a little.

One of my hands find purchase on her hips again, the other reaching up to brush a lock of hair from her forehead, before I let my fingers caress down the side of her face.

"You feel so good..." She whimpers, sliding up and down on me. I can't help the throaty groan; unable to look away from the intensity of her eyes, the love she's showing me through them.

"So do you...my stamina has never been tested so much as it has with you my love." I tell her and drive myself a little deeper as I meet her thrusts, her eyes falling shut in pleasure at the feeling.

I dip my face to take one of her nipples into my mouth before nuzzling my face between them. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she watches me, and I smile up at her lazily, so wrapped up in the erotic feeling and sight of her writhing rhythmically above me.

Her breaths grow rapid, and she leans forward with me as I lay back fully into the pillow, my hands now palming her underneath and helping to lift her hips up and down.

Breathy pants fill the space between us and by the looks of her hazy and unfocused expression, she's hovering close to something great too. Her movements are beginning to falter. So I pull her forward again, and somewhat rapidly raise my hips to a rhythm I'm hoping will bring her to her peak.

The pulse in her neck draws my mouth in like a magnet and my lips seal around her soft skin and suck hard, causing her to moan into the pillow my head rests on. "Tobias, yes, I'm...oh my gosh..." she pants as she begins to clench beautifully around me.

I couldn't hold on much longer even if tried, the tingling sensation at the root of my cock nearly numbing my legs as my balls draw up tight, ready to burst. The sounds of our hips meeting, our slick skin slapping, it all feels too good; she just takes over all my senses in the most incredible ways. Needing to feel the connection as we both crash over the edge, our lips collide in another scorching kiss.

With one last urgent stroke, I'm done for. Tris holds my face close to hers as she rides out the aftershocks of her own orgasm, her little noises drawing mine out even more than expected.

We don't move for a long while, although I have the presence of mind to shift the bulk of my weight off to the side so as not to crush her. My arm is slung over her chest as my thumb absent-mindedly traces the underside of her breast. I _love_ lying in the nude with her.

She turns her head and I tilt my face towards hers, her lips finding mine in a tender kiss. It's sweet and unhurried, and full of love. When she pulls back, she smiles softly at me. "I love you," she says sleepily, before tucking her head against my chest.

"Mmm," I murmur amorously, "I love you too." My arms fit around her and hold her close, my lips lingering on her forehead, " _so_ much."

"Did you ever find out who texted you? It might be important." She reminds me, referring to the alert my phone made during the movie, which I had decided to ignore at the time.

"No, I forgot." I say reaching over real quick to check it and make sure it's not important.

I see it's from my publicist, so I open it real quick, praying it's good news or at least maybe just a simple question, and not some crap about more rumors or something.

 _Nora: Want to head to NY after filming in Paris? SNL wants you to host! This would be great for you...but think about it and let me know. See you in a couple days!_

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 **Authors Note:**

 **THANK YOU again for all the favs, follows, and the wonderful messages/reviews so far. I'm still so baffled by the response my stories get. You're so inspiring and wonderful with your words! Also, thank you for your well-wishes, you're _so_ sweet!**

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	22. Chapter 22

**"Role of a Lifetime" (RATED M/MA) -** **Chapter 22**

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 **Reminder/Disclaimer:**

 **I do not own the rights to Divergent or its characters. This is just my fanfic.**

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 **Author's Note:**

 **Thanks for your patience everyone! I'm back with a couple of chapters to post to this story. Here is Chapter 22, which is fairly short for my standards. But Chapter 23 is MUCH longer (over double the length) and should be posted tomorrow.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

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 *****TOBIAS' POV*****

I set my phone back on the bedside table and lie down in disbelief. I rest my head on the pillow and stretch my arm out, knowing Tris will snuggle up to it. Thankfully she does within seconds. Finding her spot, her arm comes up to rest on my chest where my hand reaches up to hold onto hers. I don't really notice that I'm staring up at the ceiling, my mind reeling with the information from my publicist's text, until Tris points it out.

"Why are you staring at the ceiling? Everything okay?" she asks, her tired voice matching the yawn that follows. I consider waiting until morning to tell her, but she's obviously still awake and this offer is way too exciting to not tell her now. I start to grin, which Tris notices. "What is it?" She nudges me curiously.

But before I can explain, my brain takes a turn and anxiety kicks in. My smile fades when I begin to think about the pressures of live TV, of being on a comedy show, of possibly being away from Tris... I mean, would she be able to arrange it in her schedule to go with me?

"Honey?" she inquires, her thumb rubbing back and forth over my hand soothingly. "What's the matter?"

"Am I funny?"

Not expecting that to be the words I blurt out of my mouth, I finally lower my eyes from the ceiling to meet her beautiful ones. Before I can explain further, she asks, "What the heck did that text say?" with a chuckle, but she also seems concerned. I guess my reaction is kind of odd. "Of course, you're funny. Your sense of humor is one of the reasons I love you," she adds.

"But, can I pull off playing funny roles? That's not really my thing, you know. I usually do action and thrillers and stuff...comedy is intimidating."

"I can see how you might feel that way. It's a distinct type of pressure...trying to make people laugh. But it's different if you're able to rehearse ahead of time. For people like you that are naturally witty and funny, and have acting experience, I don't think you'd have anything to worry about."

"Really?"

She nods, "I think most of the work is really just up to the writers...I mean, sure it's easy to botch a good punch line if someone doesn't know what they're doing. But you do, and surely you'd be able to practice...unless it's improv or something. But...why exactly are you getting worried? Did you get a script to read?"

"Not exactly...," I say, letting the smile return to my face. She squints her eyes at me with a curious smile of her own.

"The text was from Nora," I finally tell her. "They want me to do SNL."

"What?!" she squeals, before realizing how loud she was. "What?!" she whispers this time, hoping she didn't wake everyone up with her first reaction.

"That's amazing, baby!" she says, looking at me earnestly. I can tell she's proud and excited for me, which only makes me smile even bigger. She kisses me before pulling away to look at me again. "I'm not surprised at all that they requested you." she says encouragingly.

"Still, this is Saturday Night LIVE...so many things could go wrong."

"I know it's live," she chuckles, "but that's part of the fun. You'll be amazing."

"And, what if I suck?"

She shrugs. "Then you won't host a second time." She smiles at me sweetly as she adds, "But I'll love you anyway."

I smile at her and she leans her head against me briefly before looking back up at me. "You won't suck, though."

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 *****TRIS' POV*****

Early the next morning, I wrap my robe around my sleep shorts and cami then prepare myself a mug of tea before making my way to the outdoor patio. I decide to enjoy the crisp morning air and a little bit of alone time while Tobias spends a quick hour at the gym. When he woke up this morning, he seemed to have a lot on his mind. And although he left in a great mood, he said he just needed to sneak off to the gym for a bit, to think and get a run in on the treadmill. After all, this whole SNL thing is exciting, but a bit nerve-wracking for him too. Still, I can't help but wonder if he had something else on his mind.

Susan is still sleeping, and I don't blame her. She's not quite accustomed to the early hours our bodies are used to keeping as actors. And it's her birthday after all, so I'm letting her sleep in as long as she likes. And since Zeke is just about ready to go pick up his wife, I assume I'll be fairly alone to sit and read my book. Well, except for Nita and Bianca, but they don't usually come out of their room until they're showered and fully ready for the day.

Except for today, apparently, because just as I'm referring to 1 John 4:7-8, I hear the door open and out comes Nita still in her Victoria Secret sweatpants-pajama-looking-things, with very little makeup on and her naturally curly hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looks a little tired, but ultimately still put together for this early hour. It's a bit refreshing to see her so natural. It's not how we normally see her and in a way, to me, it kind of shows her beauty even more without all the layers of product. I don't think it was ironic that I was reading that particular Bible verse, about loving one another, as she, of all people, comes to sit down beside me.

She has her face drawn to her phone and she's so engrossed in it that I don't think she notices me at first. So, I decide to try and encourage this little accord or odd friendship or whatever you might call it, that we've developed and greet her first so as not to scare her. "Good morning."

Unfortunately it didn't help, because she still practically knocks the chair over as she's about to sit in it, startled by my presence. "Good morning, Tris," she says with a breathy chuckle and her hand to her chest. "You totally scared me, I didn't see you out here. I didn't mean to interrupt...whatever you were up to."

I smile. "It's cool, and I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to startle you." I gesture to the unused lounge chair beside me, "You're welcome to join me. I was just reading, but I'll keep to myself."

She kicks her slippers off and lounges in the chair beside me, looking down at her feet as she wiggles her toes.

"You really like your private reading time, don't you. I notice you're up early every morning for it before your run," she says.

I smile and nod before looking out over the scenic view, having to squint since the sun is beginning to shine in my eyes. "I've always liked to read, but I enjoy it more the older I get. It helps me stay grounded; such a peaceful little way to start each day."

After a beat she asks, "What do you read?"

I like that I'm no longer as surprised as I used to be at hearing her ask me something with genuine interest. It's now become somewhat of a normal thing, and even more so, I don't always have to initiate it, like now.

I show her the cover of my old ratted copy of _Mere Christianity_ by C.S. Lewis. "Today I'm reading one of my favorites," I say before folding it back closed and setting it on my lap.

"I was a big fan of C.S. Lewis' fictional books growing up. He did, like, _The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe_ and _Prince Caspian_ ," I list off and she nods along, commenting how she's heard of those movies. "Yeah, the movies were good...but were based on books, actually, which are even better. But anyway, then I found his non-fiction stuff, like this, and it's really amazing," I explain.

She nods along again, seemingly interested. "I might have to check it out sometime."

I smile and agree, "Yeah, you're welcome to borrow mine anytime."

I look back out across the building tops and towards the Eiffel Tower in the distance. "The more I read, the more intrigued I get, and the more I want to learn. Whether I'm reading inspirational random writings like this, or a novel, or from the Bible app on my phone, I just love to wake up like this...to just really think and focus more on what really matters in life. I find it to be a huge stress reliever."

"And, it really helps?"

"With _everything_ ," I reply with a nod. "I mean, even with how insignificant _I_ am in this business, I still feel and know in my heart that this is just a job. I enjoy it and I want to do well, but ultimately it's just a hobby that happens to pay the bills. It doesn't define who I am. So, I feel it's important for me to stay true to myself and to my beliefs since I don't want to get sucked up too much into this crazy world, you know? And well... the way I like to do that is by waking up an extra fifteen minutes earlier almost every day for a little spiritual alone time before I start my day."

"You realize that sounds a little crazy...less sleep for stress relief? I don't want to wake up earlier than I already have to!" she exclaims with a light laugh and I laugh along with her, "But seriously, I think I get it... I bet I would benefit from it too," she admits, looking at me genuinely.

I smile at her and shrug. "It's not a routine that's good for everyone...but I think people should give it a try. Especially with your busy schedule, I'm sure you wouldn't mind a little more personal time to yourself. Don't you have, like, two more movies already lined up to start filming after this?"

She nods. "Yeah…and my fashion line I'm launching."

I chuckle and shake my head, "I don't know how you do it!"

Now it's her turn to shrug as she smiles, looking out at the view like I had a moment ago. "I guess I like to keep busy, and when the offers are rolling in, I rarely turn them down."

"I admire your work ethic."

"You're not too bad yourself," she replies before looking over at me again, and it's then that I realize she's completely bare of makeup, which is extremely unlike her. She usually only emerges from her bedroom after she's all beautified and ready for the day, even on her way to set where they end up redoing her makeup anyway. But she really looks pretty and unpretentious right now, which I'm not used to seeing with all the bronzer or contouring or whatever it is she does. Either way, it makes me feel closer to her than I expected, and I guess I find the rawness of her exposing herself like this to me just adds to the little moment we seem to be having.

"You know, I really appreciate that you agreed to let Susan stay here. I know they requested that only family members stay on the premises," I say, knowing she could've thrown a fit and made it not happen, requiring Susan to have to stay by herself at a hotel.

"She's family to you," she says, shrugging again. I think I like this laid-back version of Nita. It's like her strings aren't wound so tight right now and it's awesome. "Besides, you haven't complained about Bianca...and I'm glad you invited us along today."

"Sure. I'm looking forward to it. We're going to have a lot of fun."

She smiles widely, but she looks a little sheepish too. She starts to speak, but then pauses and looks down, fiddling with the dark brown strappy part of the lounge chair. "Listen...do you, uh...do you think Al could join us, too?"

"Uh...yeah, sure," I agree, not knowing what else to say. It's obvious she wants him to come along, and I don't really want to discourage what that could mean. "Why not? We haven't seen him in a while."

Nita smiles almost shyly, somewhat confirming my suspicions that it hasn't been so long since she's seen him. Tobias and I have wondered for a while now when they would become an item. "I'd...I'd really like that. Are you sure Susan won't mind since it's for her birthday?"

"Nah, she's flexible. She always says, 'the more the merrier'."

"Thanks," Nita says, crossing her hands and resting them on her stomach, seemingly relieved.

It's quiet for a few minutes after that, but for the first time it's not awkward. I lay my head back and close my eyes, inhaling the delicious aroma of the fresh bread baking just down the street. I seem to wake up craving carbs every day since I've been here in Paris. The food is too enticing.

A few minutes later though, she mumbles something quietly under her arm where she's now got it resting over her face to shield the sun from her eyes. But her words, although somewhat surprising, are clear enough for me to hear. "You're really philosophical, you know that? You could be, like, a life coach or something, you're always positive and full of wise words and shit."

I laugh and she smiles, still not looking at me, but I can tell her words are genuine. "I'm serious, you're not so bad."

"You're not so bad yourself, Nita."

* * *

Nita and I basked in the sunrise for almost a half hour together. In complete silence for most of the time, but some other light conversation was had as well. It's turned out to be one of the best moments I've shared with her since we met, and I'm glad to see that whatever is happening in her life is rubbing her the right way. She's no longer quite as self-centered and obnoxious or high maintenance as she used to be; she seems to be more comfortable in her own skin, not having to constantly impress everyone.

When she eventually stands and stretches, explaining she's going to go shower, her phone chimes. She pauses her walk to the French doors and smiles at her phone as she texts back to whoever's on the other end. "Al will meet us in an hour if that's cool?" Realizing that she's being so obvious about her enamored demeanor, she casually slips her phone back into her pocket and tries to mask her smile by playing it cool, but her cheeks are tinted pink, which is even more recognizable now due to her lack of makeup, and clears her throat. "Or whatever, he could meet us later if you'd prefer. Whatever works for you all is fine with me."

I smile at her, not being able to hold it back. I want her to feel comfortable around me, especially after this lovely bonding morning we had. Gosh, I'm being such a girly girl right now. Tobias would laugh. "Nita, it's okay. He can meet us as early as he'd like. We really won't mind," I encourage, giving her a knowing look. I want her to get the hint that I'm happy for her. _You guys are so cute together!_ I want to say.

I see the flush go down her neck a bit now and she looks down, giving a chuckle, "Okay, thanks," she murmurs before letting herself back inside the apartment to get ready.

I lie there for a moment longer thinking about what in the world just happened. I look up to the sky, there's a faint scattering of wispy little clouds, but it's mostly a clear blue sky. I'm not looking at anything in particular but to the heavens in general. _Thank you_ , I whisper before standing up and stretching myself, my hands above my head. A little noise emits from my throat at the relief of stretching my back muscles. I look at my phone to check the time and have a feeling Tobias will be back soon if he's not already. So, I gather up my book, phone and empty mug, before heading inside.

When I step into the bedroom, Tobias is not only back from the gym, but showered and ready for the day as well. He must have made the gym trip really short.

"Hey," I say, greeting him with a smile. I lean up and peck his lips.

"Hi," he replies, smiling back at me. He swallows and looks down, before reaching for his wallet and keys on the table beside us. I'm curious as to why he's already ready and almost seemingly eager to leave. He's actually acting kind of weird. But when he looks back up at me, his eyes meet mine so intensely that I no longer entertain the idea that it's something negative. I admit, it bothers me that he seems to have something on his mind that he's not sharing with me, but I know he will talk to me when he's ready. And I do feel some relief in the way he's looking at me right now...like I'm the moon and the starts and basically his whole universe. He makes my legs weak with just that stare, and I know I couldn't look away even if someone started snapping their fingers right in my ear.

"I really love you a lot," he says, still not breaking eye contact.

He doesn't say it like he's going to add anything else; just like he really felt the need to say that to me. He swallows thickly before an almost shy smile crosses his face. "Like, _a lot_."

"I love you, too. Like, A LOT," I reply, smiling and biting my lip. I shake my head a little and chuckle. "What's up with you?" I don't mean to have it sound bad, so hopefully he doesn't take it that way, but I'm just curious as to why he's so intense right now. And he just seems a little...secretive? I don't know if that's even the right word, but something just seems...different.

He chuckles and I swear I see a tint of red on his cheeks, and I can't help but think about Nita and how bashful she got talking about Al. In a similar way, Tobias looks at me like _he's_ found the one that makes him smile giddily like that too, and that warms my insides in the most satisfying way. I love knowing _I'm_ the one that causes that reaction in him. "Nothing, I just had a really good run at the gym and cleared my head a bit. I'm excited for SNL, I'm excited for today, and most importantly, I'm excited about _us_."

I smile at this, liking this cheerful attitude, especially compared to the minor anxiety he started to show when we talked about doing Saturday Night Live before. "Good, you should be excited for all those things." But it still doesn't explain his odd behavior. "Are you going somewhere?"

He clears his throat then and checks his phone briefly before pocketing it, "Yeah, I'm going to run an errand or two with Zeke. He's picking up Shauna and wants me to tag along. Figured we'd be back around the time you girls are ready."

"Oh cool, okay," I say, although I'm not entirely convinced. I'm not concerned or anything, I know he wouldn't hide anything bad from me, but I'm still curious.

"I'll see you in, what? About an hour or two?"

"We're meeting Al in about an hour, probably at that cafe we mentioned."

"Okay, we'll meet you there too."

"Sounds good," I agree and we share a kiss before he turns to leave. He pauses at the door and looks back at me.

He doesn't say anything at first, just looks me up and down as I stand here in my plaid sleep shorts and cami, sans robe. I feel my nipples pucker under his gaze and I'm sure he notices it through the pale blue fabric. He clenches his jaw and leans like he's going to take a step towards me, but stops, almost like he's resisting the urge to stay here. The way he looks at me makes me hope he's considering the option of staying and ensuring I get thoroughly cleaned in that shower I'm about to take.

But instead, a moment later he seems to remember his task at hand, taking a deep breath as he gives me a sexy smile, "See you in a bit, baby."

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

 **Just wanted to say thank you again to everyone for all your reviews and awesome feedback with this story so far. Not to mention all the favs and follows. Also, I'll go more into it tomorrow, but a special thank you to my go-to gals who help me so much with this story; whether it be bouncing off ideas or fixing my errors, you help make my writing so much better!**

 **Anyway- as mentioned above... if you're interested in reading more if this Role of a Lifetime, check back sometime tomorrow for the next chapter!**

 **:-)**


	23. Chapter 23

**"Role of a Lifetime" (RATED M/MA) - Chapter 23**

* * *

 **Authors Note will be at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

 **Reminder/Disclaimer:**

 **I do not own the rights to Divergent or its characters, Vanity Fair or it's photographers, etc. This is just my fanfic. Also, as mentioned, this story is rated M/MA for language and sexual content. So please only read if you're of an appropriate age.**

* * *

 *****TOBIAS' POV*****

"He's running a little behind, but should be here in a few minutes," Nita says without making eye contact with any of us. She seems excited to go out for the day with us, since her sister will see the city too. But she also seems kind of anxious, almost like she feels bad for holding us up.

"No worries, we don't mind waiting," Susan says cheerfully, sipping on her coffee. She's got a lot of patience, which I bet is one of her attributes from working as an elementary school teacher.

"Yeah, I'm enjoying this way too much. I may have to order another," Shauna says, referring to her croissant.

Shauna just arrived this morning, but said she slept on the plane, so she's excited to join us for our group outing. But what I wasn't exactly expecting was when Tris told me that Nita had invited Al to come along, too.

Not that we mind. Al is nice and all and it was cool to work with him, but I honestly didn't even know he was still in Paris. He's been done with his portion of filming for a few weeks now and we haven't really seen nor heard from him a whole lot recently. But Nita said he's been around vacationing locally and wanted to tag along. The look Tris and I shared after hearing that confirms our suspicions. They totally have a thing.

We've always wondered, because of the way they often acted around each other, but we tried not to bring it up in front of anyone or be too nosy since it's not our business. But this new turn of events with her randomly inviting him along and showing she's been keeping in touch with him, is more evidence that we were right, especially when Bianca teased Nita that Al would like her floral romper. She got embarrassed before heading off to grab her jacket and purse when normally she would have said something snarky like, _'Who wouldn't!'_

Now, we sit at the cafe a few streets down from our apartment, where we've just enjoyed some cappuccinos, croissants and fresh fruit, just as Susan requested for her birthday breakfast.

"Get another one baby, they even have chocolate filled ones," Zeke encourages, kissing his wife on her cheek. She ponders it a moment, and he smiles knowingly as he pulls some Euros from his wallet and hands them to her. She rolls her eyes, but it's playful and she smiles back at him as she stands and steps up to the cafe counter. "There's enough there to get me one too!" he shouts loudly enough for her to hear, which makes her chuckle.

As I watch Zeke and Shauna's interaction, I think back to before I met Tris. Back then I used to admire their relationship in a different way... I respected that they obviously had a unique connection and a sort of love that I thought would be impossible for me to find myself. I stood on the sidelines and admired the way these two people could genuinely look at each other with love. I had always hoped in the back of my mind that I would find that kind of love one day; someone to truly make me feel that way.

And now I see Zeke and Shauna, and I admire and respect them in a whole new light, because I can appreciate what they have even more since I've finally been able to experience it myself. I finally know that feeling. Because of Tris, I no longer have to wonder or hope.

I just have to make sure I don't screw it up and pray she's really in this for the long haul like I am. But the earlier purchase I made of the engagement ring and earrings Tris has been eyeing at the jewelry store close to our apartment obviously shows my confidence in that, even if it's not going to happen straight away. I just knew I had to get them both for her now and was glad to have Zeke and Shauna there when I did. They are just like family to me and their support helps to put their blessing on it for me. I can't wait to pick them up. The jeweler is going to have them both polished and wrapped up to take with me before we leave Paris.

When I glance at Tris, I don't know how I could ever begin to doubt it. As she sips the last of her coffee, she smiles at me with that all-encompassing look of love that I know she saves just for me. And as usual, it makes the inner-romantic in me stand out.

"I love you," I whisper to her, leaning in to kiss her cheek and loving how close I get to her mouth. Although, it's quite a tease until I can sneak a proper kiss in somewhere more privately.

I see the slight flash of surprise at my brief PDA, but she only smiles at me as she leans in towards me a little closer. "I love you, too," she says, looking briefly down at my lips before meeting my eyes again. But then I realize I'm doing the same to her.

 _Since when did kissing become such an important thing in my life?_ Never mind, my answer is the girl sitting next to me.

My attention is then brought back to reality as Shauna rejoins us at the table, but I also glance in Susan's direction and notice that although she's still apparently a part of Nita and Bianca's conversation about the best place to buy heels in Paris, she's watching Tris and I. It seems she caught our little moment and is the one admiring a relationship from afar now.

A part of me feels happy she seems to be pleased for her friend and is genuinely happy for us as a couple. Her support is really nice, especially when I sense she knows we're serious about each other. She doesn't put on a front, like making bets behind our back as to how long it will last; I could've sworn that's what I heard happening between Jeanine and her little entourage.

But it also makes me say a little prayer that God sends Susan a good companion as well. She deserves to find a man to fall madly in love with her too. I'm not usually one to set people up, but I can't help but think of maybe finding a way to introduce her to my buddy Sebastian. Although he's in New York, so that doesn't make much sense.

"I don't think those are the types of places we're going to today...," Zeke speaks up before taking the chocolate croissant from his wife and thanking her with a loud kiss on the cheek.

Nita almost looks disappointed, but she quickly covers it up with a look of intrigue.

"I'm not saying we have to go to any of these places _today_. I was just letting them know where the best places to shop are. We've been here long enough for me to be familiar with the city; it's pretty nice actually. Anyway, where to then, Susan? It's your birthday after all."

Susan smiles politely and replies, "Well, those places sound nice...but I was thinking Porte de Vanves? They supposedly have an awesome flea market, but without being quite as touristy as the main one - what's it called?" she asks, looking to Tris.

"I forget", Tris says with a shrug, but looking off as if trying to recall the name of it. It's adorable when she furrows her eyebrows in thought like that.

"Anyway," Susan says after not remembering either, "I figured this would be a little more low-key for you guys, so you wouldn't be recognized. But if you guys would rather—"

"No, seriously, we can do whatever you like," Nita says then, much to the surprise of all of us. But again, she really does seem to be trying harder at this whole 'being friends' thing. Apparently her and Tris even hung out a little bit by themselves earlier.

Tris offers Nita an appreciative smile before her sister speaks up.

"...and you love going to _flea_ markets for your birthday?" Bianca asks, slightly amused as she swirls her straw around in her cup.

"Yeah, why not? They're great!" Susan chuckles along with Tris, who adds, "It's true, we love going."

"We pretty much go when we can, but birthdays are always fun because we feel less guilty spending a little extra cash on some fun finds that we hunt down, even if they're silly," Susan explains, but then ponders her current situation as she looks around at her surroundings; looking a little concerned. "Are you sure you guys are going to be all right with the potential of fans and photos and whatnot? I want you guys to be able to enjoy yourselves too..."

"We'll be fine," I say, speaking for the group to assure her. We don't want her stressed at all on her birthday. She deserves a day of fun with her friend without careers interrupting too much. We can handle whatever comes our way. "Like you said, this one is less hectic."

"Still... I just want you guys to be able to relax and have fun too," she points out as she looks from me to the others, specifically Nita and Zeke who are the next most likely to get recognized.

"He's right. We'll be fine," Zeke chimes in, agreeing with me. "Or hey, we could always put on disguises, ya know, and look more like the tourists," he suggests.

Tris chuckles as she says she likes that idea and nods her head towards a little shop a few doors down with sunglasses, t-shirts, key chains and other touristy gift shop items.

Zeke's smile widens, showing all of his pearly, white teeth, and he looks to his wife with excitement. "We're going to buy hats and sunglasses and maybe even a fanny pack."

"I don't know if they'll have fanny packs. This is Paris," Bianca admonishes with a laugh.

Nita shrugs, as if disagreeing with her sister, an amused smile on her face. "You never know. They're kinda coming back."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised, which is why we should _not_ go there," Shauna chimes in, playfully narrowing her eyes at Tris for encouraging her husband.

She puts her hands up in defense as she laughs, "I didn't encourage the fanny pack, only the disguise."

We all share a laugh and Tris looks at me, a devious smile on her face, "I've got a few things in mind to help you blend in, sir."

"Oh, really?" I ask and she nods.

"Can we?" Zeke asks, getting antsy now. "C'mon, I've got to have a hat anyway or my head will sunburn. I forgot we'd be outside all day."

"Fine, but no fanny pack, or satchel or bag of any kind for that matter. You don't need it," Shauna tells her husband with a chuckle, "In fact, maybe us girls should be in charge of you boys," she suggests, pointing at both Zeke and I. "That's a safer bet." _Wait, how did I get reeled into this?_

Zeke pouts playfully as his eyes are drawn to a Hawaiian-looking button-up shirt, but with little Eiffel Towers all over it. "That's not as fun... Look at all this stuff!"

"Exactly my point. I don't think we need you guys picking out things that'll only make you stand out. We need you to blend in."

Zeke looks at me then, his playful scowl now directed at me, which makes the girls laugh. I put my hands up in mock surrender as I chuckle. After all, I had no part of that conversation. But they're probably right, they'd be better at picking us stuff out that'd look normal and conceal us more.

I catch Tris' gaze and she winks at me.

"We are so doing this," Bianca chimes in and is the first to stand from the table, but Zeke does as well right after. He reaches for Shauna's hand then, to encourage her to follow.

Susan smiles and shakes her head, apparently amused to be witnessing all this and happy to go along with whatever. I don't blame her. She probably didn't expect us to be so immature and silly.

"Will you be able to have Al meet us at the shop, instead?" Tris asks Nita as she stands and stretches. My eyes are drawn to the sliver of skin that peaks out where her top rides up slightly. It's crazy how much I yearn to reach over and feel it. But for now, I just stand and wait patiently.

"Yeah, that should be fine," Nita agrees as she blindly gets up from the table, her thumbs continuing to text at top speed to keep Al up-to-date. But I don't miss the appreciative smile she offers Tris.

With that, we follow the rest of them over. I'm thankful Susan and Nita are a few steps in front of us, as it gives me the perfect opportunity to casually slip my hand around Tris' waist. My anxious thumb rubs back and forth where it subtly slips beneath her shirt at her hip to get a touch of that soft skin she didn't realize she was teasing me with so much a moment ago. It's an innocent enough touch, but I know it's ballsy doing it in public since it may seem overly affectionate, which our contract forbids and is why I caught myself looking both ways to see if anyone was around first. It feels kind of ridiculous always feeling like I have to watch my back, but what else can I do?

Tris looks over at me and smiles, inhaling as she leans into me slightly before whispering in my ear, "You smell nice."

I then watch her bite her bottom lip as her eyes linger on my own lips and jaw for just a moment, as if she's the one being teased, before she turns to cross the threshold of the store, which requires us to proceed in a single file manner.

I take a deep breath of my own as I follow her into the store. They've only been in the store thirty seconds and I already hear the group laughing somewhere off in one of the aisles. I chuckle to myself. This should be interesting...

* * *

Thirty minutes later, we approach the flea market all decked out, ready to blend in with the crowds in our ten-dollar shades, baseball caps and more. 'More' meaning Zeke also bought a shirt, a backpack and a few other knick-knacks. He insisted on getting some sort of carrying bag after all, as he was optimistic about finding some goodies at the flea market and he'd need a place to put them.

We actually did pretty well by the looks of it, and we do look more casual. If anyone were to stand out, it would be Nita in her heels and huge designer bag. But at least she found a large hat so it shields her face. I think we'll do okay, and if we do get recognized, well...we'll just hope it doesn't get out of hand and we'll be fine.

Al has since joined us and gotten acquainted with Susan and Shauna, although he's currently walking ahead of us with Nita and Bianca while the rest of us are fanned out behind them.

Nita and Bianca seemed skeptical about the flea market at first, but Susan and Tris jumped right in and showed them how to hunt down the unique finds. Shauna also seems to enjoy it, and before I know it, the three of us guys are trailing behind the girls carrying all of their goods as they buy them.

Zeke is carrying a simple but pretty chandelier that Shauna picked out and is going to have it shipped back home. Tris has me carrying a small box with some things she's collected; I saw her put in a couple of books, a pair of candlestick holders, and we picked out a small oil painting that we both really liked together. Susan has been carrying around a small, funky-looking wall mirror, but I kind of like it too. She has a fun, quirky-style like Tris. I offered to carry it for her, but she insisted she had it and tucked it under her arm before moving along jovially. Tris' shoulder bag is already full too, having bought a hand carved cutting board from a nice old man and a few other things I lost track of while Zeke distracted me.

I have no idea what Nita or Bianca have bought, but Al seems to be carrying around some sort of vintage looking trunk and a clock. At first when we had arrived, they seemed a bit disappointed with what a flea market turned out to be. I still don't know exactly what they expected, but they didn't seem very excited about things looking so _'secondhand'_ , as they described it.

But once again, Tris and Susan showed them the ropes of what kind of things to look for and it started to catch on, especially after Bianca and Nita learned you could haggle. They definitely seem to bat their eyelashes a bit more than Tris and Susan do in order to negotiate a fair price. I guess everyone has their tactics.

"What are these things?" Bianca asks, causing Nita to look over, but she shrugs.

Tris looks over and smiles, taking the small item from Bianca to examine it. "Aw, cute. It's a little floral, ceramic door knob."

"Why would they sell a door knob? What was it attached to?"

"Who knows, that's part of the fun. Sometimes you know the story behind the items, sometimes you don't and its forever a mystery," Tris explains before turning the small object in her hand to show them the back. "See, you can screw these in and switch them out on anything you have at home to make it unique."

Bianca shrugs and turns away to look at something else, but Nita and Tris look at each other and share a little, light-hearted chuckle at her deadpan behavior.

"Dude, check this out!" Zeke points out a cool, old beer sign as we head around the next corner.

We pass by everything from linens and lace to all sorts of furniture, kitchenware and dishes, and hundreds of teacups, umbrellas and old keys. We even see a variety of burlap sacks. I'm not usually a shopper, but I find this to be better than just going into a store. It's more like we're exploring and finding old random treasures, and it really does turn out to be pretty fun.

"So, whatever happened with the whole wrap party getting postponed by a day?" Susan asks. She had been in the vicinity this morning when we all got the email update, but she took a call from her mother before she heard the conclusion of how our plans have changed.

"Oh yeah!" Tris says, obviously forgetting to inform her friend even though she's her 'plus-one' to the wrap party. Since we're both in the film, it's nice that we're able to both bring a guest. My 'plus-one' is technically Zeke's brother, who's just one year his junior, but also happens to be a friend of mine as well. That was helpful since obviously Shauna is Zeke's guest. "It's now on Saturday instead of Friday because we got offered a photo shoot Saturday morning and they don't want us looking hungover or anything for it."

"Vanity Fair - Paris," Nita adds in an excited whisper and shares a little high-five with Tris. She was definitely excited about the news when Tori's email came through. She had playfully shook Tris, asking if she knew what kind of opportunity this was. _'The dresses they'll put us in, my God, I can't wait!'_ she had squealed, causing Tris to giggle too. Tris seemed a little overwhelmed, but also quite excited about the announcement as well.

"Seriously? That's awesome!"

"Yeah," Tris agrees with a smile before filling in more blanks for Susan, "We've got a big group cover shoot. It's, like, a cast thing...I think it's the seven of us?" she explains. Then using her hand in a circular motion to indicate Nita, Zeke, Al, herself and I, "The five of us, as well as Will and Peter, I think?"

"Sounds right." I agree and Zeke nods too.

"Yeah, I think so." Al adds, sounding kind of unsure, "Do you think there will be interviews too? I'm just no good at that stuff."

"Sure you are! You've been doing interviews for years now, you'll be fine," Nita encourages him, which is nice to hear. They really do seem good together.

"Maybe with TV interviews...but on paper, I usually sound like an idiot," he says with a chuckle.

"I hadn't thought about interviews... It wasn't even mentioned in the email," Tris adds.

"Well, either way that sounds awesome. I hope they'll let us come watch!" Susan says, looking to Shauna who gives her a nod like she hopes for the same. "So, what are you guys up to after? Are all of you going back to LA?" Susan asks, moving the conversation along. I can tell she doesn't want Tris to dwell on the interview possibility or stress about it. Tris knew these types of things were coming. I just don't think she realized how soon they would start.

"Yes, I'm heading back there right after we leave Paris. I've got some more commercial work before I start my next film. We start filming in a month!" Nita whines with a pout.

"That's not much of a break," Susan points out. "But starring in two films in the same year, that's pretty awesome."

"Yeah, being busy is good. I like it," she says, nodding in agreement. "Although a little more of a break would still be nice!" she adds with a giggle. I agree, staying busy is nice, but a couple months off between projects is preferred, especially since we work such long hours. It can get a bit draining.

"What about you, Tris?" Susan asks. "You still doing that sci-fi movie?"

"Yeah, I'm doubling for January Jones. I'll be blonde! I think it starts in, like, eight weeks...," Tris says.

She then looks to me, and just by her look I can tell she's curious if I'll share my news next. I had a feeling this might be coming since I still haven't mentioned anything to them yet. She shrugs subtly, reminding me it's up to me when I'm ready, but her smile is still encouraging, making me want to go for it. As if reading our minds, Zeke pipes up next with an almost interrogating tone. "What are you doing next?" He seems surprised he hadn't thought of asking me that sooner. He's usually somewhat in the know of my schedule, at least with film projects. We keep in touch often and hang out whenever we can.

At his question, I feel Shauna and Nita's eyes on me as well, but I continue to pick-up an antique-looking brass pitcher, taking a breath as I examine it briefly and even taking a quick look inside, before setting it back down and looking at them.

"I actually don't start my next big project for few months, but I've got quite a bit of promo work tying me up in LA and New York for a while. Oh, and while I'm in New York, I've got to take care of SNL as well," I add nonchalantly.

Feeling a little giddy at telling my friends this exciting news, I have to bite my lip to hold back my smile. I've actually been really anxious to tell Zeke, but I wanted to make 100% sure it was happening first, which I confirmed via text with Nora about an hour ago.

But now I realize, maybe this wasn't the best place to share that information. Even though I did speak quietly and saw that nobody was in our vicinity, their expressions are of excitement and surprise. But I'm not expecting it when both Zeke and Shauna respond with a loud, _"What?"_

It causes us to all to stop and discreetly look around to make sure we didn't draw too much attention to ourselves. It seems we're okay besides a few nearby people who walk by, giving us odd looks for being so rowdy. I turn back and look from one grinning face to the other and can't help but grin back. "I got the call yesterday...they want me to host."

Zeke is the first to step forward, giving me a huge bro-hug and a hearty pat on the back. "Dude... Fucking. Saturday. Night. Live." he says, punctuating each word and pulling away again to look at me as if to make sure I'm not screwing with him. I nod to confirm, my honest-to goodness smile not leaving my face. "That's so awesome!" he then says emphatically, although more conscious of the volume of his voice this time. He pats my shoulder again before pulling away, a proud look on his face.

Shauna, still smiling widely, gives my shoulder a playful shove. "I can't believe you didn't tell us right away! Zeke would be jumping out of his skin and calling everyone he knows if _he_ were offered that!" she teases, and Zeke chuckles while raising his eyebrows and nodding in agreement that there's no denying it. Then she looks at me sincerely, "But seriously, that's so cool. I'm really happy for you, T." She's often called me that; I think she knows it draws less attention when we're in public since Tobias isn't a very common name.

"Thanks," I reply, giving her a grateful smile. It really is nice to share this news with my friends, especially since it's not like I have much family to call back home and tell or anything. Besides my Uncle, who I basically grew up with, my friends have pretty much always been my family. But I'm okay with that, considering the friends I have, and especially now that I have Tris to call my family.

Almost forgetting there are more of our group here. I glance at Nita and Bianca, who is now hovering nearby again after her ears perked up at the mention of my news. They both look a little shocked, but thankfully not in a jealous way. I'm glad to see how much Nita has grown as a person as well as a professional actor in general. Had I told her this news a couple of months ago, I bet she would have had a tantrum saying she should have been offered to host SNL first. Instead, she's being really mature though also a bit surprised. But she actually sounds genuine as she comments, "That's going to be so much fun. I'm so happy for you!"

Bianca nods, smacking her gum before playfully saying to me, "You're my fucking hero." Somehow it doesn't come off in a flirty way. Then she simply turns back to look at some handmade jewelry.

"Yeah, congrats man," Al adds, reaching out to shake hands. "Do you know who the musical guest is yet?" he further inquires.

"Ooh, good question," Zeke's agrees excitedly, looking to me with his eager, questioning look that borders on impatience.

I laugh and reply, "Sorry, don't know."

"Why didn't you ask?"

"I did, Nora didn't know either."

"It better be someone good," Zeke says, as if defending my episode.

"Or, what?" I tease, knowing there's nothing he could do about it even if it does turn out to be someone I wouldn't prefer.

"I doubt they let the hosts pick the musical guests," Shauna says, chuckling at her husband.

"Hey, it's not like we're familiar with their process. Besides, I'm not saying he gets to pick, but they better freakin' pick someone good. Otherwise, he should complain."

We all laugh and continue on our way. After loading up on a few more things, we head back to the apartment, which Zeke has dubbed 'home base,' not only to drop off all the stuff, but to also freshen up a bit after all that walking. Once we're all ready, we head out for a nice dinner. I promised Susan I'd treat her and the group out to anywhere she'd like as her birthday present.

Because of the special occasion, everyone gets a bit more dressed up than usual; not quite formal, but almost. The birthday girl looks lovely in her black and white polka dotted dress, but not as radiant and gorgeous as my girl who takes my breath away in a light blue and white striped wrap-type dress. I can't stop checking out her long slender legs or the exposed skin of her shoulders and neck.

At the restaurant, we enjoy a delicious four-course meal, many of which are French foods we can't pronounce, but dive into anyway since it is what all the locals are ordering. The server comes out and surprises Susan with a humongous slice of French vanilla cake with what looks like chocolate ganache and edible gold leaf. There's a single candle for her to blow out. Good, I'm glad they're making this evening feel even more special for Susan. I don't care how much the bill will be.

I order us another bottle of champagne to go with the dessert, and the rest of the night goes by quickly with lots of random talking, laughter and silly photos. And yet again, Nita, Bianca and Al are with us, and having just as much fun as we are. I'm so thankful things have gotten better between all of us. I have to say, I don't miss the awkwardness or the bitchy attitudes.

The girls, well mostly Nita and Bianca, try and talk Susan into going out dancing or something fun afterward, but being that it's almost eleven o'clock, she decides to just gather everyone back at home base for another movie night. If their feet feel anything like mine after our day out, I agree, the couch sounds much better than dancing. Thankfully birthday girl's decision wins out. So, after I've paid the tab and left a generous tip, we make our way out of the restaurant and onto the sidewalk without getting recognized. Luckily, we were only recognized earlier in the day, on our way home, by a family who kindly asked for photos, so we obliged.

We start to walk directly to the apartment, but Tris stops and looks across the street a ways. At first I wonder what she's looking at, but then I realize it's the jewelry shop she loves.

"Let's go this way?" she suggests, nodding in that direction.

"You sure? It's an extra block away."

"I don't mind," Susan says, looking intrigued. "How come you want to go that way?"

"I just like the shops down that street. They have the cutest window displays. And I like the smell as we pass the flower shop," Tris shrugs and smiles.

Deciding to play it cool and knowing it'd be more obvious if I tried talking her out of going that way, I just smile along and take her hand in mine, leading the way she requested we take.

As expected and despite knowing it'll be worth it in the long run, I see her face fall when she tries to casually glance in the jewelry store window as we walk by and it saddens me.

"What's wrong?" I ask, giving her hand a gentle squeeze while trying to act natural and console her at the same time.

"Nothing. I just... I had been eyeing those earrings. I think I was finally getting up the nerve to buy them. They remind me of my mom...but I guess it wasn't meant to be," she says, pointing out the little "SOLD" tag attached to the earrings as they still sit on display in the front window. They definitely stand out amongst the many other pretty jewelry, along with the exquisite engagement ring settled on a little white pedestal just behind them with a matching "SOLD" tag attached. I'm sure she notices they're both marked that way, although she doesn't mention the ring.

"Wow! Those really are beautiful. And that ring...whoever bought either of them has good taste," Susan says in agreement as she comes up next to Tris.

"Oh, I know," Tris says with a little sigh of disappointment. "I know…"

The others seem preoccupied looking through the other windows and guffawing over the ridiculously expensive watches. So, after another moment of longingly looking at 'her items', she pastes on a smile and goes to join them. But I can tell it doesn't quite reach her eyes; she's truly disappointed she lost her chance.

"My gosh, is that one really $9,000?" she asks, giggling along and trying not to let it show that she's disappointed. It breaks my heart to watch her and not say something, but I have to remind myself of the smile she will have when she sees it again one day.

We make our way further down the block and when we pass by the flower shop, everyone peeks through the window and points out the colorful bouquets.

Fifteen minutes later, we're back at home base. And just as Susan had requested earlier, we all end up sprawled out together watching some 90's movie called Clueless. I somewhat remember it, but not like the girls do, who giggle over their discussion on how they used to admire Cher's style and closet in the movie.

Overall, it ends up being a fun day and a successful evening as well. I fall asleep sated, my sexy girl in my arms, with a smile on my face at the final thoughts roaming through my mind before sleep overtakes me… _She's going to love that ring. It'll totally be worth the wait._

* * *

The next week or so ends up going quite well. Susan, Shauna and Bianca keep each other company, exploring the city nearby together as the rest of us are busy working each day. Zeke's brother, Uriah, arrives halfway through the week and, as expected, he gets along great with everyone, so he joins the girls too. On our official last day of filming in Paris, the director and producers even allow them on the set to watch.

Now that it's all over, that familiar bittersweet feeling is starting to sink in as it always does when I wrap up a movie. It's both sad to see it come to an end, but also exciting to be done with filming and get the movie one step closer to being able to share with everyone.

I'm just so grateful for the experience. Not only has the international travel and stunt training been fucking awesome, but it has truly been a lot of fun portraying this particular character. I felt like I could relate to Four in many ways. In addition, this movie is what led me to meet Tris, which is the best part of all.

Speaking of whom, she hasn't mentioned the jewelry shop since that night and I've also noticed she avoids taking the route past it now whenever we're in the area. I even offered once, but she declined, saying that the route we were on was faster anyway. I still can't help but feel bad, but I know everything will work out. She still seems in good spirits otherwise, so I'm thankful for that.

Nita and the rest of the main cast are actually completely done filming their parts now. So, much to my delight, Tris and I get to travel to Mykonos, Greece on our own with a smaller crew for some final scenes. It surprisingly only takes a half day to get the shots needed of us. The rest of today and the next will be spent by the film crew on helicopters getting scenic shots that don't actually require us to be in them, but we get a complimentary helicopter ride anyway and despite my fear of heights and enclosed spaces, it is beautiful and totally worth it, especially seeing that happy grin on Tris' face; she absolutely loved the thrill of the ride.

One of the last scenes we filmed included the reunion of Four and Harper, where he finds her living a much simpler and quieter life running a small little Vespa rental shop in a secluded coastal town. So, it's a happy ending, but also leaves it somewhat open-ended for a potential sequel, or at least that's the gossip we've been hearing around the set. What an awesome thought that would be, to be able to do a sequel together with all of my friends and Tris, although I don't want to get my hopes up.

Since we finished up our parts so early, Tris and I were set free to roam Greece the rest of the evening and the whole next day before our flight back to Paris the following morning. So we take a romantic stroll around town, hand-in-hand, before we settle down for a cozy dinner overlooking the water. Because of our exhaustion from traveling and the long hours spent wrapping up filming, we enjoy our time soaking up the sun and relaxing, just the two of us.

The next day, though, is a little bit busier for us. With the help of Nora and a friend of mine, we coordinated with the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, in advance to visit some of the refugee camps in the area. My grandfather was a doctor from Greece and had to flee his home country due to the Nazi occupation during the Second World War. He later worked with the organization that was the precursor to this one, treating the victims of typhoid and tuberculosis in the refugee camps. So, it's always been of interest to me to become more involved, especially now that my grandfather's native country has become a place of refuge for others fleeing their countries. I try and do a lot of charity work and donate money regularly to various organizations that help refugees, but it's also nice to get hands-on like this, to visit places, meet people and really understand how they have been affected so that we can better help.

For example, I met Ari, a young boy from Syria, who had survived a bomb attack and needs surgery to remove the shrapnel from his body and Aliyah who was found abandoned at age 8, and needs the most basic things like food and clothing. It was a really emotional day for Tris and I. Tris shed some tears on more than one occasion throughout the afternoon; I almost did too. But despite their circumstances, everyone was so upbeat and there were many smiles and laughter as well. We were humbled by the experience. They had practically nothing and, yet, were filled with such spirit and enthusiasm. It made us really want to get even more involved here, to do wherever we could around the world. So, we agreed to commit more of our time to helping the organization and since then, Tris has been full of ideas.

We spend the rest of the evening with that as the main topic of our conversation. I knew she did a lot of humanitarian work even before I met her, but it was really touching to see her interact with everyone, to hold the children and give out hugs to anyone who wanted one. Her smiles were contagious as she lit up the room wherever we went and I loved watching her. Whether it was playing dominos with the children or when she let one of the girls braid her hair, she always had a grin on her face. Only when we talked with the leadership and heard the horror stories, did I see her face get serious, so stricken with empathy and deep thought. I could already tell the wheels were turning in her head, coming up with ideas on what she could do to help further. As usual, I saw my selfless and determined Tris, eager to do what she could to help.

Later that night, on the crisp white sheets of our bed in that Grecian hotel suite we share, I show her just how much I love and appreciate her for that. I want her to know how much I adore her and her attitude, her naturally loving protective nature, to help take on a project that is so important to me and my family's history.

We definitely make the most of our time tonight.

When we arrive back in Paris Friday morning, we head straight to the apartment to reconnect with Susan and everyone else. Plus, we want to quickly shower and freshen up before we have to head to the _Vanity Fair Paris_ photo shoot.

"Welcome back you two!" Susan says, standing on the couch to greet us as we make our way through the foyer.

I notice Zeke heading towards us from the kitchen and thankfully he doesn't try to speak as I can see his mouth is full of food from attempting to chew too big a bite of something. We exchange head nods instead before I notice Uriah and Susan huddled together on the couch, looking at Uriah's cell phone and giggling at something he's showing her. She blushes and looks down shyly.

Well, don't they look cozy…?

As Zeke settles himself back into the living room, he corrals his brother, Susan and the others to the couch to finish watching whatever they were watching on TV before we arrived, while Tris and I head out to shower. "By the way, despite how quick you might be, we don't have time for you two to bone in there!" Zeke hollers as we make our way down the hall, causing us to laugh.

"Can you actually hear them through the walls?" I hear Uriah ask, but we're around the corner before I hear any of them reply.

Tris is still smiling in amusement as she sets her weekend bag down on the floor in the corner of the room and begins undressing.

I watch her for a moment, unable to take my eyes off the expanse of skin she's exposing, and once she's down to her bra and panties, I can't take it anymore. With my own clothes partially removed already, I swiftly remove the rest of them as I stride towards her. I playfully toss her over my shoulder and walk to the bathroom to turn on the shower with her giggling along the way. I reach up and skillfully unsnap her bra, letting it fall onto the ground between us before sitting her on the counter.

"What are you doing?" she giggles, brushing her now messy hair out of her face as I begin sliding down her panties.

"Zeke's not the boss of me," I say cheekily and by the continued giggles and adorable little snort she does, I know she knows what I mean. I grin and press my lips to hers, lifting her from the counter to bring her into the steaming shower with her long legs wrapped around my waist and her nails deliciously scratching at my scalp as her tongue forms a dance with mine. I can't wait to bury myself in her. Never have I been so driven wild with passion.

* * *

Just over thirty minutes later, we're not only showered and satisfied, but dressed and ready by the door before everyone else.

I may have good stamina when I need to, if I do say so myself, but I also know how to get the job done quickly when I know we have important places to be. Maybe that's just because it's Tris and our bodies are just that tuned to one another, a connection both physically and emotionally that I haven't felt with anyone else.

While we wait, I notice her looking down at her feet with a smile.

"What is it?" I tease, but I can tell by her flushed cheeks she's thinking about what we just did in the privacy of our bathroom.

"You're just...awesome," Tris whispers, the pink tint from her cheeks spreading down to her neck. I can tell she's afraid everyone will notice and tease us. She's always been more modest and private about our sex life, which I appreciate.

"It takes two, babe," I remind her before kissing her temple, inhaling the scent of her soft hair.

"Shut up," she scolds playfully before her face turns somewhat concerned. "Are you sure I don't still have that post-orgasm look on my face?" she whispers, and I'm about to reply when I notice Susan has now joined us and is standing with a smirk behind Tris.

"Let's see!" Susan suggests, turning Tris to face her, much to Tris' surprise.

"Yes, yes you do," Susan immediately confirms after observing her friend's face. "But it looks beautiful on you."

Tris' mouth hangs open slightly in surprise, but her lips are turned up as if she's almost smiling.

"Don't you agree?" Susan turns to me.

"Very much so. Although she's _always_ beautiful," I tell Susan, and she smiles widely. She likes teasing Tris just a little, but I've noticed it's especially when it points out how cute Tris and I are together.

"Everyone ready?" Zeke asks, walking up with Shauna and his brother in tow, oblivious to our conversation. Nita and Bianca are following behind, grabbing their purses along the way. Thankfully for Tris' sake, Susan doesn't say anything further. Just smiles sweetly at us with that knowing look in her eye, before hooking arms with Uri and walking out the front door, the rest of us following them. _At this rate, I'm sure we'll have plenty to tease them back about soon enough._

Thankfully the paparazzi still haven't figured out where our apartment is, so we don't have any issues leaving all at once like this. But then again, they don't tend to follow celebrities around quite as badly as they do back in LA or New York. That's one aspect I'm not exactly looking forward to going back to.

Due to traffic, it takes longer than expected to get there, but thankfully we still manage to arrive at our photocall early with just minutes to spare.

We meet the famous photographer, Annie Leibovitz, at a Parisian estate where we will be photographed outdoors. She seems very nice, although efficient, and she wants to get started on time. So we're all quickly escorted back to the dressing rooms to get made up.

Us guys are done first, so once we're all decked out in our tuxedos, they decide to get started on our individual shots while the girls are still in wardrobe. I do as I'm told with my facial expressions and I turn or tilt my head and body this way and that.

Once those are done, the stylists jump back in and have their hands all over me to prepare for the group photos. Apparently my shirt will be fully buttoned up for this one and someone adds a bow tie while another polishes a barely there scuff on my shiny shoes.

By the time they're finished with me, Tris and Nita are brought over by golf cart, already donned in their gowns and with their hair and makeup done.

They're both wearing long, white dresses, but besides recognizing Nita's dress as white, I'm not sure what it looks like otherwise as I still haven't been able to take my eyes off Tris. Tris' dress is classy with long sleeves and a lot of detailed lace and knots along her torso. She looks absolutely stunning with her hair up in a fancy bun, showing off her long, beautiful neck and her slender frame, which is only accentuated more by her heels and the way the dress hugs her perfectly.

Once she steps closer to me, she smiles shyly. I tell her how beautiful she looks and she thanks me in a silly, southern accent and with a playful wink, but then she bites her bottom lip as she looks me up and down appreciatively, too.

"But seriously, you are so handsome...you're going to be the highlight of the shoot."

"No way." I reply with a chuckle. Does she really not see how gorgeous she is?

"There's a reason they chose such a stud to star in the movie," Zeke says in agreement as he saunters up, smiling jovially.

Following behind Zeke is a group of makeup artists and hair stylists as we're all primped again before being set in place. We take pictures for what feels like hours, but it turns out to be kind of fun for everyone. With so many of us used to being in front of the camera, it's hard for us to keep the giggles at bay. After the group shoot, they do the girls' individual photos then move onto the individual interview segment. All goes fairly smooth and we all feel good about the whole experience by the time we leave.

Now it's time to head back and change yet again, so we can go to the big wrap party where pretty much all the cast and crew are expected to attend.

 _Should be a fun and interesting night!_

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay. I was hoping to post this last night, but the FF website was giving me trouble. Thankfully I got it worked out this morning though!**

 **What did you think? I'd love to hear from you, whether it be through reviews or PMs. Your feedback really helps!**

 **An extra special thanks to my friends Ractre1127, MillieMae1981 and (last but not least), Eunice339. Not only do they offer their editing help when needed, they allow me to bug them with bouncing my ideas off them at random times, and truly help pull my story together to make it what it is. Girls; your support and help is SO greatly appreciated! Thank you!**

 **I look forward to posting chapter 24. No promises as to when it'll be posted, as I haven't even started writing it yet. But it's outlined (in my head) and should come together quicker than this last update did!** **Anyone a fan of SNL? Well, I guess we will soon see how we like Mr. Eaton hosting...**

 **Thanks again to all of you for your love and support! :-)**

 **Until next time,**

 **Madison**


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